


Captivity

by Atrieisan



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-04-14 23:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4583658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atrieisan/pseuds/Atrieisan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captured from the reefs he called his home; the dark mer, Phantom, finds himself thrust into a life of captivity. Struggling to survive in this new environment, he meets someone who will change his life forever, for better, or for worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Captivity

Captivity

 

 

 

            Captivity… Such a thought had never been left to stew within his mind before now; lying along the bottom of a deep salt water tank. To find himself at the mercy of its unyielding confines as it all but consumed him.

             Trapped…. A long swish of his tailfin stirred the waters as his luminescent green eyes glowered at the sandy floor. He’d lost track of the nights he’d spent here. It couldn’t have been more than a week, but he was uncertain. He’d not had any visitors since the third day. After attacking the diver, they seemed a bit more wary to approach him, and he was perfectly fine with that. He didn’t need these humans poking their heads in at him, attempting to prod at him through the glass. He hated it…. Felt exposed, and just wanted to be left alone again…

For as long as he could remember he’d been alone…. Even amongst his kind he’d been shunned and alone. From the time he was a guppy; the others would not share with him, nor join him in sport. As the years passed by he had been pushed to the outskirts of the shoal until he was all but out of their sight; away from the safety of the deep and into the shallow reefs that banked the warm coastal waters. Never in his dreams did he realize how much danger he’d put himself in.

             The shallows were home to an assortment of creatures, both large and small; it was a colorful and curious attraction. He had little trouble in acquiring food with such abundance; his only competition, a few complaining reef sharks. But despite the plenty and variety, it did not ease the ache of loneliness that hung heavy within his chest. Now as an adolescent male, he would carry himself to the edge of the reef and call out into the depths. Yet his voice was unheard; his song falling on deaf ears. Either the clan had moved on to other waters, or no female dared wander near. In the end he’d all but become mute at the lack of contact.

            He’d taken to patrolling the reefs, claiming it as his official territory, and guarded it with great ferocity. A number of small boats soon found themselves victims of his wrath; the tattered remains shoved along the shoreline to be dragged off to whence they came. The colorful buoyant bodies were invading his home and taking his prey, and he was not about to put up with it. It was his territory, and the surrounding wildlife knew it well. Even the reef sharks had come to fear the jet black mer.

            After some time, he was certain they had finally heeded his warnings, as the number of craft began to dwindle within the area. That is, until a large white behemoth lay within his path…

                 ____________________________________________________________________      

     

            “Thank you for coming all the way out here for this Dr. Manson”

            “It was nothing Mr. Masters”

            The two men shook hands before turning down one of the docks of the crowded harbor. The old wood creaked under their shoes as they approached a large fishing boat. The biology team they had gathered had already begun preparations to get underway. Masters simply waved a hand at a few of them as they wandered past, up the ramp, and into the main quarters of the vessel. He let his form meander towards the back counter, setting about preparing a cup of coffee for him and his guest.

            “Sugar?”

            “Black is fine thanks.”

            Nathaniel Manson accepted the cup gratefully from the older man as he took a seat near the window. He gave the cup a soft swirl before sipping at its hot, bitter contents. He only looked up from the drink briefly as Masters addressed him once more.

            “So how has the family been?”

            “Things have been good lately; my brother is bringing his wife and daughter down for the summer. So it should liven things up a bit.”

            “You’re niece is majoring in marine biology, is she not?” He stirred a bit of cream into his own cup before taking a seat across from his coworker.

            “Why yes. I believe she’s starting her second term this fall.”

            Vladimir Masters just held a look of mild amusement towards Dr. Manson before setting his drink down upon the table, “Then we should hope that this mission goes by smoothly.”

            “Indeed. I did get some of the details from the email. Something to do with repeated shark attacks?”

            “From the number of reports and sightings, it’s believed to be, yes.”

            “Believed to be?”

            Manson’s eyes followed the older male as he picked himself up from his seat and meandered over to the drawer. Pulling out a number of documents and sorted through them, laying them out upon the table in an orderly manner.

            “The reports vary in a number of ways. At first we thought we were dealing with a few of the local reef sharks. But after compiling a number of the reports, I feel we are dealing with something else.” Vlad crossed his arms, a scowl evident on his face as he watched the younger scientist run over the papers in his hands.

            “A tiger shark, possibly?” He thumbed over a particular page that claimed witness to a number of stripes visible upon the body of the animal.

            “The coloring is a tad dark, don’t you agree?” Vlad pulled another paper out of the drawer and placed it upon the table. A map of the local reefs; a number of areas were either crossed out or marked in bright red.

            “True, but we don’t have much to go off of as far as color and a few stripes go,” Manson sighed, taking another sip of his coffee before bringing himself around to examine the map, “Seems you’ve been busy.”

            “Indeed. My team has already set out a few times in attempts to locate the beast.”

              Masters brought himself around to point out specific locations upon the paper. Manson did his best to follow the gestures as he took in the information provided for him.

            “With all of this, we garner that the territory encircles the primary reef and its surrounding waters. Thus we’ve begun setting up humane traps in hopes of capturing and further preventing more attacks. We can set about tagging any others we find as to keep an eye on the local populations. They’ve been shifting greatly in the last few years, and I’m certain it has to do with our mystery fish.”

            “That’s an awful big appetite” Manson just mused, setting the map back down upon the table.

             Master’s simply rolled his eyes at this as he walked back around the table and towards the door. His heels clacked upon the deck as he came to a stop upon in the entryway, a hand resting upon the handle as his grey eyes turned back towards the younger scientist.

            “Either way, we’ll be departing shortly to make a routine check on the traps. I’m going to ensure that things are ready to get underway.” He gave a curt nod before exiting the compartment, leaving Manson at the table to further examine the reports.

                   _________________________________________________________

 

             He hadn’t been sure what to think about the great white beast as he moved through his waters. It was far too large for him to challenge like the other vessels, and thus he was forced to accept its presence within his territory. For over a week, the ship had lingered off and on along the reef, only stopping for an hour or so at a time, but it would always leave a number of strange contraptions wherever it had stayed.

            He eyed them warily at first. Uncertain as to what they were other than the strange scent of food that lingered around them. He’d scowl and shun them, refusing what he figured were peace offerings to share his hunting ground. He didn’t feel like sharing, but the creature’s size made fighting it a lost cause.

            As time drifted on by, the large white boat seemed to have moved on, and thus he continued on with his usual routine. He still found himself frustrated at the sight of the foreign contraptions along the reef, and had taken to knocking the ones near the edge into the depths. It was a satisfying feeling, getting rid of the eyesore. That was, until he found new ones taking their place, the presence of the white metal beast having returned again.

            It made him angry. His tailfin swished in the water violently as he trailed after it. His luminescent gaze lay witness to the offering of another one of the strange contraptions; watching it settle in the soft sand below. A snarl curled on his lips as he lashed out it, deciding he’d had enough of the ‘peace offerings’ and that the only way to settle the matter was to prove his absolute hatred towards them. He’d not expected what had happened next however…

            With a snap, the contraption had shifted in one single go, and he found himself ensnared within any number of wires. Wide eyed, he hissed in defiant anger, and writhed within its binds. Only realizing too late that the more he twisted round, the tighter and more tangled the mess became. He wanted to scream, but his voice remained ever absent. His struggles in vain as he desperately tried to swim away. His mind coming to the realization that this contraption was no offering at all, but had been the creatures way of hunting within his territory from the start; and at that moment, he’d become the prey.

                   _________________________________________________________________

 

             “Odd…” Vlad tapped the screen in front of him, his gaze set upon the blinking dot upon the screen.

            “Something the matter, Mr. Masters?” Manson shifted his attention from the crew over towards the older scientist.

            “Indeed… Either the trap we just placed has malfunctioned… Or we’ve gotten unusually lucky,” he frowned, giving the screen anther tap, bringing up the coordinates of their most recent drop off. It hadn’t been fifteen minutes since they had deposited the trap at the specified location. Thus it left the heavy belief that he was going to have a long chat with his team about properly setting them later. That or yell at the company that he purchased them from for lack of proper production. Either way it just put another dent in their time to be out along the reefs before dark.

            After the long wait for the ship to make its turn around, he stood there upon the deck, tapping his foot in frustration as crew set about retrieving the trap. He was intent on thoroughly examining the contraption himself to ensure whether the error was that of his crew or if he needed to make a rather unpleasant phone call. What he’d not expected was the sound of the team’s excited hollers and the thrashing waters of a trapped animal.

            “Mr. Masters! You’re not going to believe this!” Dr. Manson called over excitedly, having joined the team in attempting to pull the trap up out of the waters.

            Blazing white fins stood out against the ebony black scales and dark stripes. From the tailfin alone they could tell this was no shark on their line, and was far bigger in that regard. It continued to thrash in the binds, desperately attempting to plunge itself back into the safety of the waters below. It forced the crew to hook up the pulley in order to properly reign in the beast, even with the trap restraining it. Either scientist would agree that this was one powerful animal, as the pulley groaned from the strain, and the crew ached in the struggle before finally tumbling backwards onto the deck. Only then could they finally get a decent look at what they were dealing with.

            “I was at least expecting a whale… But this is ridiculous.” Manson blinked, rubbing his eyes as if the sight was trying to fool him. Masters on the other hand just stared wide eyed at the sight, he’d expected something like this, but he’d not expected it to be true, let alone finding any evidence of such fantasies so soon.

            Staring back at them, wide eyed and fearful, was the strangest creature they’d ever laid eyes on. The long black tailfin twisted up into the body of an adolescent male, the slender figure riddled with scales; silver hair hanging down in bright green eyes that stared back at them, seeming horrified with its predicament.

            “What in the world?” One of the crew members edged around the beast warily. The creature in turn, despite the restrictions on its movement, whirled round at him with a deep almost reptile like hiss. The male barely had time to yelp as he was yanked backwards by his boss.

            “You’ll likely lose a limb if you try that again.” Vlad narrowed his gaze, the creature in turn barred its fangs in a threatening manner.

            “It’s a mer…. I.. I didn’t think they even existed… and yet… here… It’s right here in front of us…” Manson stuttered, seeming to have all but lost his tongue as he ogled the said mer with fascination.

            Vlad could only sigh as he placed a hand upon his coworkers shoulder, startling the man out of his mindset, “So it would seem, but if legends tell what they do, that would mean that this creature is responsible for the attacks upon the local populous.”          

            “We can’t simply relocate something like this… Can we…?”

            “Afraid not, not only will the world want to know of this little discovery, if this is the culprit, then we’ve freed up this area to resume normal water traffic.”

            “And if it’s not….?” Manson inquired, his gaze fixed upon the older man’s as if this was all some sort of hoax.

            “Then we’ll have to continue our search. If need be, I’ll leave a few of the traps around and see if your tiger shark theory is correct, hmm?”

            Vlad mused at this, only receiving a further frown from the scientist. But in the end the man reluctantly agreed, leaving him to order to crew the usher their catch into the holding tank. He’d long since turned the fishing boat into a travelling tank in hopes of collecting unusual specimens for the facilities aquatic research. It seemed he’d just mined gold.

                        _________________________________________________________

 

            And here he was, lying upon the bottom of the tank; stirring at the sand beneath his fins as he scowled at the world and everything in it. He’d allowed himself to be fooled by humans, the white beast having been one of their boats that road across the waters, disguised in some new form other than the old wood of stories old.          

            He let his tailfin curl round his form, shielding his face from the sight of the glass that imprisoned him. He let a sigh leave his lips. At the very least it had been quiet today, no rapping sound upon the glass, no humans peering in on him. It was a familiar, but sad sort of quiet, and he took that moment to rest within the stillness, trying to claim some sort of sanity back within it all.

            However he found himself torn from his reprieve at the faint sound of clacking upon tile. He tore his gaze away from the floor to glower at the glass. But what caught his eyes was unlike anything he’d ever seen before; as bright purple eyes stared back at him through the glass. He could have sworn the waters themselves shuddered under such an intense gaze; and yet, it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

            It was then that he’d come face to face with the strangest girl he’d ever met…

 

 


	2. The Girl Who Made No Sense

 

Chapter Two

The Girl That Made No Sense

 

 

            Samantha Manson wasn’t the happiest person in the world, but then again, how could she be, staring at the glass, attempting to drown out the sounds of her parents arguing behind her. It had been difficult in getting them to come here, and they’d been arguing about it since they’d received the invitation. Her uncle, Nate, as her father put it, had invited them down to the Florida coast for the summer, and offered for Sam to see their aquatic research center. Of course she’d been ecstatic about the whole concept. Her parents on the other hand, had been less so.

            Her mother, Pamela, had continued to scream about how indecent the man was, living out in the wilderness half of the time, and was now screaming about how filthy the marine life was whilst her father attempted to console her. Sam could only roll her eyes and try to ignore them as they continued to stroll through the vast aquarium. At some point, she’d managed to lose them in the maze of hallways, having only noticed that the sound had drifted into a dull roar, and then into silence. As far as she was concerned, it was a well needed brake.

            The exhibits held mild interest as she wandered about; small shoals of fish scattered about behind the glass that enclosed their so called homes. Some of the tanks were small, others sprawled across whole walls. It was in that respect that she reigned in her complete distaste; at least they were taking some consideration for the animals’ wellbeing. That didn’t mean she approved of it entirely; conservation of wildlife was different than housing them in cages in her mind.

            She let herself continue to examine the layout of the place for a while longer, until her eyes came to rest upon a sign indicating the entrance to the research center. Curiosity getting the better of her, she slipped through the double doors, ignoring the posted signs of ‘Authorized Personnel Only’. She was going to be a biologist eventually, so why not get a look at it first hand?

            The rooms were dark, leaving only the illumination from the large tanks that lined the walls. Some of them held a variety of strange or unique fish; others held sick animals for treatment, or young fish waiting to transfer to larger tanks. It was a mesmerizing sight as she spun round, attempting to take in all the sights and sounds of the place. That was until she came face to face with a pair of the brightest, toxic green eyes she had ever seen, watching her from the other side of the glass.

At first she’d been startled seeing such human eyes, the thought of being caught snooping nagging in the back of her head, until she caught sight of the rest of him. Brilliant white fins stood out against deep silver scales. They were almost black, if not for the ebony stripes that lined along his back and tail. The black ran up along his back and sides, speckling before shifting into a gentle tan skin. Silvery white hair hung in his face and flowed back over his shoulders; it made Sam feel the need to tie it back; watching it drift around him as he moved about the tank.

She continued to watch him circle, wishing she could reach out to him. It wasn’t something she could place, but the sensation was there; the feeling that there was something more than just an animal behind those bright green eyes. If only she could find some way to unleash that spark, to bring out that hidden intelligence that lay hidden below the surface; he just appeared so human.

                   _______________________________________________________________

 

          He wasn’t sure what to make of her, this unfamiliar being staring back at him from beyond the glass. Deep amethyst eyes searched fiery green, as if search for some sort of answer he didn’t know how to give. The waters seemed to ripple when her hand gently traced the glass, leaving a shudder running along his spine; but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. It felt like she wanted to reach out to him on another level, different from the analyzing gazes he’d been scrutinized under; and some tugging instinct left him curious of what she would do if he responded. Though he doubted he could speak to her, his own voice was foreign in his own ears, and the barrier between them left her voice in the form of strange murmurs he couldn’t decipher.

          He was almost tempted to reach out and run his hand along the glass, before the opportunity was stolen from him. Feeling the piercing gaze of another upon him, his form whipped round to catch glimpse of the smug face he’d come to hate; a snarl twisting itself upon his lip before disappearing into the small alcove in the back of the tank.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

           Sam followed his movements about the tank, letting her hand glide just above the surface of the glass. It almost felt as if he was playing with her, and it was becoming hard to decipher whether her hand was tracing over him, or he was following her. Such a curious glint held in those vibrant green eyes, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t understand.

           “You’re so silly.” She couldn’t help but smile at his antics.

           Whether it was curiosity or not, she swore he’d attempted to imitate the expression. However the friendly disposition faded as quickly as it came. A wild, aggressive look morphed the mer’s face into an animalistic snarl; his form darting into the back of the tank just as a hand landed upon her shoulder. Startled, she spun round, finding herself face to face with the one and only Vlad Masters.

          “I see you’ve familiarized yourself with the place,” He mused, bringing himself to stand beside her, his gaze upon the tank before them.

          “…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any harm. I was just curious…” Sam shifted uneasily, fingers plucking nervously at her fishnet sleeves. Her uncle was one thing, this man, Masters, could bring her into a lot of trouble. Yet she quickly noticed that he’d either not heard her, or simply did not care for her excuses; his gaze remained fixated upon the glass, a contemplative look in his grey eyes.

          “Quite a fascinating specimen, isn’t he?”

          She blinked, surprised at the lack of retribution, wasn’t sure how to respond; though he hadn’t been looking for an answer, as he continued to talk, his gaze not wavering from the glass. He could still see the mer glowering at him from the shadows of the alcove.

          “Your uncle and I recovered him just off the coast. He’d been giving the local fisherman a bit of trouble. This tank is simply a place to put him before we move him to a larger, more suitable ‘habitat’ tomorrow.”

          “Why not just let him go?” A frown settled on the goth’s face as she eyed the older man; the activist in her rising to the surface at the thought of keeping a wild animal in a place like this.

          He seemed to pause at this, as if thinking how to respond in an appropriate manner, “We agreed that it is currently unwise to release him until we’ve gathered more information on where he’s from. The fact that he’s been causing problems entails he’s beyond the borders of his natural habitat. Simply releasing him now will only result in the same problem we had to resolve with his capture.”

         Vlad finally turned his gaze over to her, his expression level, unreadable to her eyes. Such was the trait of a businessman. True, they had to remove him from the source of the problem, but he wasn’t about to let such a find out of his grasp so easily, when there was so much more that could be made from such an encounter, “Why not drop by tomorrow? I’m certain your uncle can introduce the two of you~”

         A scowl crossed her face as she bit back the red threatening her cheeks. There was just so much wrong with the way he spoke those words.

        “I’ll…. Think on it Mr. Masters…”

        It was a hasty retreat, a curt nod of the head before she darted out of the backroom. Vlad simply watched her go, a smug look upon his lips, the expression twisting into something sinister as the door clicked, sounding her departure from the space. His attention then turned back to the glass once more, a sneer evident on his lips.

        “You can sense it, can’t you? It leaves you fascinated by it, doesn’t it?” He grinned through the glass, an almost wild look in his eyes. The mer hissed in response, snapping its jaws at him.

        “Snip at me all you will. I will get what I want.” He let his expression rest in a smirk, his hands remaining within the pockets of his trousers as he gave the tank one last work, “It’s only a matter of time.”

 


	3. Unyielding

Chapter 3

Unyielding

 

 

The morning air was filled with the deafening sound of shrieking and the hum of machines. The crane struggling to not drop its captive onto the concrete as the workers proceeded to transport the trashing animal; said animal was the disgruntled black mer currently attacking the tarp with a newfound ferocity.

            Sam could only watch from afar, sipping on an iced coffee whilst her uncle observed the proceedings. Never had she seen such a power and unique creature outside of its element. It made her bristle on the inside. Despite her efforts to remain calm, she couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling in her chest to free the tortured animal. Its screeches continuing through the halls as it strained to break free of the restraints. The only think holding her back was the look in her uncle’s eyes. The deep contemplative scowl they held reminded her of her own distaste for the situation.

            A sigh of relief graced everyone present once the tarp was unveiled and its captive released into the new enclosure. It boasted as one of the aquariums largest tanks, hosting a large variety of marine life in an almost realistic setting. Any number of plants littered the surface of the rocky outcrops and ledges, from coral, sponges, kelp and the like. It gave the appearance of stepping into the rocky reef as the viewing window on the next floor down loomed over the hallway, all but encompassing it in an underwater world. From above it looked like an over dramatic pool, with places the concrete jutted out into platforms, the platforms serving as the base for the formation of sea caves and alcoves in the ecosystem below.

            The sea caves were quickly favored by the jet black me, his form darting off into the tank and disappearing under the rocky outcrops. At the moment he wasn’t sure where he was, only that they’d put him back into the water and his first instinct had been to hide. The sight of the small dark cave became the perfect place to disappear from the prying eyes above.

            He remained hidden in the shadows for what felt like an infinite amount of time, only allowing himself to peer out when he was certain the humans had left and their shadows no longer hovered over the water. From what he could see from the confines of the cave was that he was in an unfamiliar reef; schools of fish passing by, not in the least bit concerned by his presence. They only distanced themselves respectfully from him when he appeared on the reef.

            His eyes searched for any sign of a threat, but when none was found he let himself wander, exploring the new reef an hoping it could help him pinpoint a way home. There were only a couple of caves that he could see, most of them interconnecting on some level. Sea weed clustered into a small forest on the north side of the reef, and the corals growing to the south. But the coral ended abruptly in a fine line along some sort of invisible force.

            Growing instantly suspicious, he approached with a wary eye. He was almost certain he could see a reflection there. Reaching out, his fingers brushed the solid surface of the glass and he bristled instantly. This was no reef. It was another trap, another cage to keep him in, hidden under a false illusion.

            He lunged at the glass, ramming the unyielding surface before darting about trying to find the limit of his new prison. The mer was quick to find the back wall behind the patches of sea grass. Following it along in both directions, he found himself boxed in by the rocky protrusions that held him here and gave a false sense of security to everything else present. Frustrated, he took to the surface, looking for some way to escape this horrid place, only to find an enclosed concrete patio.

            They could not keep him here, he would not be kept here, and from his chest he voiced his defiance. The shrieks echoed throughout the building. He would not submit to these people, and would not yield like the walls that confined him. Thus he continued to scream.

            The sounds carried out into the dining pavilion, causing the redheaded scientist to sigh, whilst his niece gripped her cup in the tension. It was an unpleasant, unfriendly sound that shook the air, leaving silence among the coworkers who sat among the tables. The only one who sat content was the figure of Vlad Masters, leaning back in his seat sipping on his coffee.

            “Seems we’ve been issued a challenge,” he mused, stirring a bit of cream into his drink.

            Nate just sighed in response, his focus on the direction the sound carried from. True it was a challenge, but it held a wild, frightened sound; the cry of a trapped animal, too proud to admit that it was scared. In that sense, it sounded more like a cry for help than a challenge in his ears.

            “Probably recognized the enclosure for what it was,” the young scientist shook his head, pocketing his hands. It seemed that this human like creature was sentient enough to recognize his surroundings. It was a wonder as to what else could be accomplished with such intelligence, but it also meant it would take more time for the mer to adjust.

            “I’d give him a few days to adjust.”

            There was a silence that followed. It was a sound, and understood reasoning, but there was a great amount of tension building around the subject. The conflicting thoughts on the situation growing heavy, and no one was willing to break the silence until Sam stormed out of the room. It seemed she would need time to adjust as well.

            The next few days had been rough. The mer’s persistent wails echoed through the corridors and it was times like these that made Nate thankful that they’d postponed the center’s opening. There was no way they could keep the noise under control and people would have grown suspicious. He wasn’t ready to share this discovery with the world yet. This mer couldn’t handle the presence of the human; a media barrage would overwhelm him.

            By the third day, the sounds had died down and the young scientist figured it had been enough time to where he could try feeding the creature. With a bucket full of fish and other assortments, he trotted up to the top of the enclosure. He wiggled his fingers in the water to get the mer’s attention before setting about prepping some of the food.

            Whether or not the animal ignored him didn’t matter, it was more of an exercise to get the mer used to his contact. However, he received a rather unexpected response. He startled as the black beast burst from the waters, fangs barred and an almost reptilian hiss in its throat. Nate was forced to scramble backwards at the sudden approach. The mer’s form coiled round upon the concrete, gnashing its teeth whilst it snarled. It continued the display, fins flared until the man had scooted a good distance from the water’s edge. It was farther from the water than the creature wished to go, resulting in a defiant hiss before returning to the confines of the water, disappearing from sight.

            Nate could only clutch his chest attempting to calm his beating heart. It had almost been a near perfect strike. If he hadn’t of stepped towards the bucket, there was a good chance he would be duking it out with the animal; the mer tearing into his throat. He gulped, rubbing his throat in turn. Perhaps it was still too soon to be too comfortable around the mer just yet. Sighing, he tossed some of the fish into the water, knowing the mer still required sustenance. The question lay in whether or not the animal would accept the offering.

            The next week was spent giving the animal its space and taking care of other matters, from paying bills and working on the rest of the exhibits. The decision had been made that it was best to keep the mer’s existence in the dark to the public, as it was currently hostile and in no means fit for display. That sort of exposure would put more stress on the animal than it was already in. So over the next few weeks they would be closing off the hallways that lead to the exhibit. It would put a bit of a damper on their business, considering that the center had been advertising the unique design of the primary aquarium; the same tank that housed the unhappy mer. But Nate would not let that deter him. He was determined to calm the angry soul of the jet black mer whose eyes burned with an emerald fire; a fire that refused to be silenced; an unyielding will within them, unwilling and unable to be broken.

            Soon after, Sam and her family had taken their leave. The parents grateful to the returning home, but their daughter’s promises to return soon still hung in the air. The nearby university that correlated classes with the center would be starting term next month, and with great persistence, Sam had convinced her parents to let her go. She’d managed to convince her mother that it was due to the fashion and design majors. Nate couldn’t help but chuckle at this; the girl had no interest in designing dresses. Her father knew it as well, but was more content to let the matter slide.

            As it was, they’d been fussing at their daughter to continue her education for some time. She’d been out of high school for two years now, and spent most of her time working at the creepy gothic book store across town. It wasn’t like they didn’t have the money to afford it, they had more than enough; it was simply that their daughter didn’t want to cooperate with them. The fact that she was now interested in furthering her education, even if it was for the sake of a captured animal, it was still a push in the ‘right’ direction.

            By the time Sam made the trip back down to the south Florida coast, the month had passed and it was only a few more days before the semester began. The sweltering heat of summer still held on with a tight grasp, and the trees still rustled with brilliant green leaves as she walked down the street towards the university.

            A sigh graced her lips as she checked in through the office and made her way up the winding stairs to her dorm. The typical sounds of music and chatter greeted her ears as she pulled her luggage along the hall. It was lively, a little more so than she preferred, especially after a long trip, but it was better than being stuck at home.

            Then again, the thought of maybe she should’ve stayed at home went through her mind when the sight of a burning pink t-shirt was thrust in front of her. Glowering she shoved the horrid object away before turning her focus on the offender, finding the shirt in the hands of a Latina chick.

            She stood there smacking a piece of gum, looking slightly offended. Her body clothed in pink among other bright colors. Sam could feel her eye twitch in response.

            “The color looks so good on you! You shouldn’t stick to such gross clothes,” The girl grinned, giving a flick of her hair, causing Sam to grimace. This girl was too fake for her liking.

            “Thanks, but I prefer my own style…” She pushed past the teen, ignoring the scoff as she continued to her room. She could only hope that she wasn’t stuck with that chick as a roommate.

            Clicking the door closed with a sigh of relief, she turned to face the empty room. It comfortably housed two, and one side showed signs of being occupied. The desk contained a number of notebooks and artistic representations of wildlife, and she was grateful when she saw no sign of frilly colors or popular trinkets. It seemed she’d lucked out and not been housed with that pink monster.

            Halfway through unpacking her things, she heard the door creak open, taking in the sigh of her new roommate. She was pleasantly surprised to see a young African American woman sporting a red blouse and long curly black hair past her shoulders.

            “Oh, hello there,” she smiled, setting her things down and offering the goth a welcoming hand. Sam accepted the shake, getting to her own feet in the process.

            “The name’s Valery. So I’m guessing you’re my new roommate?”

            “Yeah, I just got in today. It’s Sam by the way,” She turned to start putting away the rest of her things, only to find her mother had packed some of the more avoided clothes. She grumbled slightly, pulling the offending, pink dress out of her luggage and tossing it into the nearest trashcan, “Why does my mother not get that I don’t wear shit like this! I’m not that Barbie in pink!”

            “Pfft! I see you already ran into Paulina,” Val laughed, leaning back into her desk chair as she sorted through her books.

            “You know her?”

            “Kinda hard not to. Doesn’t help that she was from my high school,” She rolled her eyes.

            “Ouch,” Sam could only grimace. She’d only been near the Latina for a minute and the girl was already in her face.

            In the end the conversation continued to ramble on from there and well into the night. The two girls seemed to get along well, and Sam was grateful that she was starting the year with a friend. Things were off to a great start.

            The next day was spent figuring out bus schedules and city streets before making her way downtown towards the aquatic center. The massive structure sitting on the waterfront had become a popular attraction while she was gone, despite the fact that its biggest feature was ‘under construction’. She knew otherwise, considering she’d been there during the discussion of keeping their discovery hidden for the time being.

            She wandered about the aquarium, examining the tanks in their full glory like many other passerby; giving a short peruse through the gift shop out of amusement. She hadn’t intended on getting anything, but the sight of a simple shell bracelet caught her eye. It was more authentic than a number of trinkets glittering about the shop, trying to catch the eye of curious buyers, but this was simple hemp twisted rope, holding onto a simple clam shell. She couldn’t help but smirk, figuring that the only reason it was being sold was her uncle’s way of trying to appease her with something more natural, and less touristy. In the end she picked up the trinket and made her purchase.

            After having a bit of fun exploring the place in its bustling activity, she took to making her way through the staff entrance; she wandered the back halls until she reached the massive tank. The glass walls looming over and encompassing the hallway before merging with the tank on the other side. It truly gave the sense of being underwater, encompassed in a tube below the crystal clear waters and ornate reef. However, aside from the typical sight of animals and fauna, she saw no sign of the jet black mer. It left a growing sense of unease as she reached out to touch the glass, wishing he’d show himself from wherever he was hiding. Nothing stirred, and she was beginning to doubt he was even in the tank at all.

            Deciding it was best to find her uncle and find out what had happened, she turned and wandered off down the hall, checking through the rooms and offices in search of the man. Each room she checked was empty aside from the usual staff, and the unease was only building with each step. Something was wrong.

            She finally discovered why when she turned into the last room, and her stomach sank. Her uncle stood there, along with his colleague, Vlad, and another man, obviously garbed in a medical scrub, hovering over a long metal table. Upon it lay none other than the black mer, looking worse for wear. She couldn’t help but scream.

            “What have you done to him!?”

            The men startled from her cry, Nate being the first to try and console the frantic girl, “Shh.. shh.. Sam. I’m sorry you had to see this..”

            He held his hands upon her shoulders, attempting to calm her struggling. She glowered up at him, frightened for the state of the animal, and ready to make a well placed kick into his shins, “What. Did. You. Do?”

            He eyes narrowed threateningly, and the young scientist was forced to sigh, turning his gaze over towards the mer. The creature lay on its side, breath shallow, and wet towels draped over its form to prevent the scales from drying out. An iv was attached to the arm; the vet checking on the fluid’s flow whilst trying to get vitals from the unusual patient.

            “He’s grown ill… I found him lying on the concrete patio outside the pool when I went up to feed him last night. The doctor doesn’t think he’s been eating well,” he heaved another sigh before letting her go, figuring she was calm enough, now that the situation was explained. They weren’t trying to harm the poor creature, simply save it.

            Sam stared up at him for a while longer, trying to determine if it was the truth or not. His features were worn, like he had not slept, and from the solemn look in his eyes, he was concerned. She couldn’t blame it on him, the man, though gifted in understanding marine life, was not familiar with the creature lying before them, and therefore was only trying the best he could. She shook her head sadly, wandering over towards the table. The mer didn’t even move to acknowledge her presence, his form remaining heavy against the stainless steel slab, tail hanging over the edge.

           He was a sight to see up close; holding a face so young, looking like a teenager, but armed with barbed fins and a powerful tail, giving him an impressive size. She estimated he was a good seven, almost eight feet long. His long white hair hung haphazardly around his face, but his green eyes were closed, unwilling to open. It was sad to see him in such a state.

           Despite the protests of those present, she brought a cautious hand up and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. The scientists tensing up as the mer’s eyes shot open, the creatures own form tensing up. Sam felt herself freeze, almost instinctively knowing that if she moved, he would lash out at her and everyone else in range. Those wide, fiery eyes staring right at her.

 


	4. Acceptance

Chapter 4

 

Acceptance

 

 

 

            Everyone froze as the dark mer came to life. No one dared move less the creature turned to lash out at them. Sam stared on in horror, dreading that the next moment would be her last. Why had she been so stupid to just run up to the mer like it was her best friend? This was a foreign unknown species to them, a creature of myth that no one knew anything about, and she’d just waltzed right up to the beast’s unconscious form.

            Now she was stuck with the predicament of getting herself out of this situation. The mer’s gaze was fixated directly on her. If she moved even slightly wrong it could be the end of her. The beast could leap of the table and savagely tear her apart. They didn’t even know what he ate, there was a strong chance he probably would consider them prey. At least the old myths told of them luring men from their boats and devouring them. She wondered just how much of it was true…

            Knowing she had to get out of the situation one way or another, she made to hesitantly remove her hands from the animal. The farther she was from strike range the better off she was. As it was fearfully expected, the moment she let her hand pass by his head, he’d immediately fixated on it. The sudden motion caused Sam to spook and jerk away and it was then that the mer lunged.

            She screamed, tumbling back onto the floor. The others quickly came to her aid, pulling her away from the mer; her uncle being the first to check for injuries. Overall she was fine, just spooked, though her wrist did show the signs of teeth, it was thankfully not deep.

           Sam hadn’t even noticed her uncle or the other’s move to try and save her. Her gaze had fixated on the animal in front of her. The mer lay upon the table, his form twisted from how he had arched upwards at her, his head hanging over the edge of the slab. But that wasn’t the mer himself that had her true attention, it was the bracelet clamped in the creature’s jaws. She heard the resounding snap of the shell between its teeth, before the mer dropped the trinket with a look of disappointment; tongue hanging out of his mouth hungrily.

           She continued to stare on in silence, ignoring the cries of the men around her, before the observation clicked with her mind. She rose abruptly, startling the others as she made a beeline out of the room and down the hall her mind set on its goal. Nate followed after her, continuing to call her name, but she ignored him. It wasn’t until he’d grabbed her by the arm that she whirled on him.

          “Sam, wait. You were bit and it needs to be treated immediately!” He attempted to calm her, hoping that he could get some sense into what he thought was panic. But the look she gave him quickly had him unhanding her.

          “I’m fine, it’s only a scratch,” She turned and continued to wander down the hall.

          “Sam, wait! Where are you going?!”

          He called after her as she continued to strode down the halls, poking her head into different rooms looking for something. By the third door, she finally acknowledged him once more.

         “Where’s the kitchen in this place?”

          Nate blinked, seeming taken aback by the sudden question. She’d been attacked only a minute ago and she was suddenly interested in food. He couldn’t fathom what had gotten into her, “Sam.. Why are you…”

          He was cut off by the slam of a door as the young woman continued off down another corridor. A sigh graced his lips before he trailed on after her. She hadn’t shown signs of going into shock, but he still had to ensure that she was going to be alright. Upon finding her again, she’d successfully made her way into the cafeteria kitchens and was scouring the shelves, much to the displeasure of the cooks.

          “Sam, will you please explain to me what is going on?”

         “Didn’t you see what was in his mouth?” She answered with a question of her own, her focus still on running through the shelves. Her uncle, however just gave her an exasperated look, which was enough of an answer for her to continue, “I bought one of those gift shop bracelets. He was trying to eat the shell. I think you’ve been trying to feed him the wrong thing.”

          The young scientist blinked before the thought clicked in his mind. He couldn’t help but shake his head in slight amusement. She truly was a scientist at heart, even whilst bitten by the animal, she was still only thinking of what it needed. He then turned to look over the shelves himself after dismissing the distraught kitchen crew, looking over the jars and cans, figuring out what she was looking for.

          “So you think our mer is a shellfish fiend?” He mused, picking up a jar of clam juice from the top shelf.

          “I can only hope so…” Taking the jar from him, she set about finding the minced clams amongst other related seafood and mixing them into a small pot upon the stove.

          “I’m not sure he likes his food cooked…”

          She simply frowned at him and turned back towards prepping the food, “I’m not cooking… I’m mixing.”

          Sighing Nate managed to nudge her away from the pot, “You can’t prepare food the same way we do. It requires a different touch. I’ll show you.”

          He smiled, giving the spoon a casual twirl before setting about preparing the concoction; explaining the different nutritional needs of different creatures that he knew of and how to prepare certain meals. He’d also taken out a few tablets, vitamins of a sort, to which he offered her to break up into the mixture. With their resident mer as sick as he was, they needed to bring him back to health any way they could. Once the mixture of shellfish had boiled down into a heavy ‘soup’ they set it aside to cool, knowing it was probably more appealing to the mer’s pallet at a normal temperature.

            From there they carted the meal back to the room only to find, to their dismay that the mer was in the middle of a glaring match with the two other men. During their absence, the animal had stirred, and despite being exhausted, was no longer putting up with them being anywhere nears him. From flared fins and bared fangs, he was an overall force to be reckoned with, and the screeches and squawks had been heard from all the way down the hall.

            Sam frowned, yanking the bowl from the redheaded scientists grasp, and wandering further into the room. A gruff, “Move”, was their only warning as she pushed past the men so that she was the only thing in front of the agitated creature.

            The scent of food reached its nostrils, and the mer was instantly looking her way. However the moment he caught sight of her with the tempting scent, he growled, form slumping against the table. He refused to take food from them; he as too proud, and yet he was also so tired.

            It was only after the mer had stopped his offended screeching and dropped down in exhaustion that Sam moved closer. His eyes on her with every step, and she did the same. Nate had taken to the sidelines, wary that too many approaching figures would result in frenzied panic. It didn’t help that Sam had been so stubborn. This was unfamiliar territory and he was the animal handler, if she ended up hurt as a result, the blame would fall on him, and likely the life of such a rare entity.

            “Do you think it’s wise to let her do that?” Vlad looked on warily from the young scientist’s side. This would only end badly in every scenario his mind played out. The mer was wild and unfriendly, and didn’t show any signs of accepting any sort of interaction.

            “No, but my gut feeling tells me to trust her,” Nate bit his thumb nervously, not giving the man a second glance. His attention was completely focused on the situation before them, frightened for her safety.

            Surprisingly, Sam had managed to pull up a chair next to the table. The mer was still holding a low hiss in his threat, but had yet to make any attempts to attack her. She took this as a good sign; letting herself sit down right next to him.

            He eyed her warily as she stirred the concoction of clams and mussels; the scent rising up and taunting his senses. But this temptation was in the hands of a human, and therefore he refused to take it, settling for baring his teeth ad hissing when she drew the long silver stick towards him, teasing him further with the nibblet of food on the end of it.

            A frown of frustration creased her lips as she pulled the spoon back. It was obvious the mer was starving, but openly refused to take from her. The second time she’d offered, he’d snapped at it, and not in a friendly sort of way. She refused to give up just yet. On the third attempt, she dumped the spoonful of meat onto the table, tapping the spoon upon the stainless steel.

            He’d continued to bare his teeth at the offending object, but found himself utterly confused when she dropped the morsel in front of him, rather than aiming the spoon at his face. He glowered at it, offended by it. He would not take something from the creatures that imprisoned him here, even this unusual female. But his stomach was twisting itself in knots. It was torturing him, having that bite of food directly in front of him. Every part of his mind was screaming at him not to take it, and yet wanting it at the same time.

            The mer eventually yielded. Its body lurching as he scarfed up the small teasing of food. A sense of shame swelled in him along with the furious hunger at the taste of such sweet meat. He continued to fight with himself as she set down a second bite, a growl in his throat at the action, but with each tap of the spoon upon the table, he relented, devouring each morsel set down in front of him.

            The three onlookers could only stare on in perplexed fascination as she continued to feed the once mythical animal. Out of everything they had tried, she was the only one to succeed on even getting near the creature while it was fully conscious. Perhaps she would be the one to tame this retched beast.

            Sam could only smile as she continued to place one bite down at a time. The gentle rat-tat-tat of the spoon against the metal surface slowly acclimated the creature to realizing the sound meant food.

            After a number of bites, it was apparent that the mer was growing frustrated. He was snatching them up as fast as she was putting them out, and then looking up expectantly as she scooped up more. He’d given up his pride at this point, instinct driven hunger leading him onto an almost obedient cycle of repetition; his only goal being the sustenance his body was screaming for.

            Sam had to relent at some point in the exchange; setting the bowl of steamed clam meat in front of him instead of a morsel and watching as he dove in without a second’s hesitation; snarfing down every scrap, every shred of food, even licking the bowl clean. Yet he wasn’t satisfied and turned his gaze back towards the young woman who had the courage to feed him. She only smiled softly in response, “It’s all gone. Sorry.”

            He didn’t understand a single word she had said, and overall ignored it, more concerned with food at that moment. He wasn’t done, if anything that had only been enough of a snack to get his appetite going with a fierce drive to feed.

            Sam gave a startled squeak as the mer started snuffing her, before sliding off the table and sniffing about the floor for any scraps. Its nose leading it over to the cooler full of fish Nate had brought in earlier in hopes to get the beast to eat. Watching in shock, the mer figured out how to pry open the lid to the container and begin chowing down all of its contents.

            It wasn’t that the creature didn’t eat such foods, but in his stress and distrust, he refused anything they offered to him to the point of becoming ravenous and sick. It also seemed he had a far larger appetite than expected. Watching in fascination as he swallowed each fish whole much like a number of the aquatic residents did; and yet with such a human physique, it hadn’t been expected. Within minutes he’d emptied the container, licking over his fangs before sniffing about in search of any scraps. He was still hungry.

            It was after a few minutes of his fruitless searching till he noticed the spectators. A deep, snarling hiss in his throat as his fins flared in a defensive display. They now hat a mer running loose in the back room and looking threateningly at them. Vlad shuffled back, grabbing a nearby broom in defense. However the action only agitated the beast further as it screeched and mock lunged at them. At this rate it would charge them, on land or otherwise, it was still dangerous. The vet looked like he was ready to bolt, and Nate was half tempted to grab the net on the neighboring counter, but feared the action would cause the creature to act, and the older man was the intended target.

           Sam bit her lip before walking forward, putting herself between the men and the mer; earning a snarl as she crouched down before the dark mer. The creature continued to hiss at her until she came down to eye level. Recognizing her as a source of food, he grew curious, sniffing at her until he realized she had nothing to offer, he backed off with a short grumble.

            It had been enough of a distraction for Nate to edge towards his intended goal. However he was stopped short at the look the girl gave him. She shook her head; using the net now would only break what little trust they had built with the animal.

            “Get another bucket of fish,” was her only request. They would have to distract and lure the mer back into the water. The only question was, how?

            Keeping the animal occupied had been surprisingly easy, as the mer had taken to licking off the clam juice that had dried to her fingers. Apparently feeding him and keeping him fed was going to be a large and expensive expedition. But at least they knew he had an appetite.

            By the time Nate returned with the fish, the mer was quickly growing disinterested in the girl’s fingers. Instead it turned its fiery gaze on the sudden movement, a growing hiss in its throat. Sam just ignored the sound as she reached back, taking one of the fish; the sight of the fresh meat perking the mer’s interest. But as it moved towards the food, she moved it back. By the time the creature grew frustrated, she’d give him the fish, and then another would take its place, the process repeating itself over and over.

           One by one they managed to lure him through the door and onto the patio that hosted the entrance to the tank. The mer’s focus on the fish was to the point where he ignored anything else, including the small crowd of scientists that followed her.

            Upon picking up the last fish, they found themselves at the water’s edge. Thus Sam had to find another means of getting the creature back into the water. The mer was absolutely transfixed upon the meat to the point where he followed it about with his eyes and his nose. It almost reminded her of how some dogs acted in the presence of chasing a ball…. Perhaps she could get him to chase it?

           Deciding the put the thought into action, she began to swing the fish slowly back and forth. And as predicted, the mer swayed along with it, tempted to snatch it from her hands. Right before he had the chance however, she flung the dead trout into the waters, the mer not giving it a second thought as he leapt in after it. Thus they had succeeded in safely returning the creature to its keep.

           The next few days had been relatively quiet. Aside from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the aquarium, there was no sound from the closed off section. In fact, the mer hadn’t made a sound, having done nothing but sleep for the next three days. It was a much needed rest. From the observations Nate had gathered, the animal had refused to eat or sleep to the point where it could no longer function.

           Watching the creature now, it finally seemed that it was adjusting to its time in captivity. The mer was comfortable enough to rest now, which was a sign of improvement. But as far as feeding times went, he still lashed out at them and soon it became clear that Sam was still the only one who could feed him. Thus, after her classes each day, she would come down to the center to feed the rowdy creature.

           It was a pleasant routine, and the mer quickly picked up on it, causing a ruckus around the time she was expected to come through the doors. The sounds had even carried through the soundproof walls meant to hide him, and people were starting to question what it was. The only answer Nate could give them was that it was one of the animals in rehabilitation, and it wasn’t suited to seeing people. It was enough to satiate most curiosity and they were able to continue on at a usual pace.

           Passing by the patio on one occasion, he found Sam sitting along the water’s edge, just reading through one of her English assignments. It had been questionable at first, for there was the concern of the animal attacking her, but it quickly turned out to not be the case. In fact, watching the scene from below the patio, in the exhibits hall, the mer showed more curiosity than aggression. It would poke its head up at the surface to look at her then dive back down. Just by being there, without really interacting, was enough to get the creature used to being around them. Well at least around her. The mer still didn’t like him very much and was antsy and uneasy in his presence; Vlad couldn’t even be in the same room. Nate could never really figure that one out; why the jet black mer hated his colleague so. But then again, most animals didn’t like the man. It was just how he seemed to be.

          The mer’s behavior continued over the next few months. From screeching around feeding time to swimming around curiously whenever Sam sat and studied by the pool. To where, one day he even found the mer, up out of the water, sitting beside her, looking over the book in her lap as she read aloud. He doubted the creature understood a thing she said, but it was nice to see things looking up.

          Sam had taken a liking to reading by the waters. The turbines that created the artificial current caused the water the swash about like the waves, and she was overall left alone. The college life was tedious, and her studies took up a good portion of her time. Her roommate was overall decent, spending most of her time out and about, but Sam found that staying in her room invited unwanted guests to knock on her door. It wasn’t like she was antisocial; she simply didn’t like to partake in hanging around partygoers in their bright outfits with cans of cheap booze. Thus she’d found sanctuary within the aquarium in which she worked.

          Over the last few months, she’d become more and more attached to working there, and grown acquainted with the resident mer. Considering that she was the only one he’d accept food from, it had almost been fated that she would get more involved and become familiar with such a mysterious animal. She’d taken to studying by the pool, and found the mer would take interest in her when ignored. It was funny at first, watching as he’d dip below the waters whenever she looked up and caught him staring. It had almost turned into a sort of game, until he’d started growing bolder. Till one day the jet black mer pulled himself up out of the waters and sat next to her.

          He sat awkwardly, his tail curling around him, and his arms splayed in front holding him up. His head was tilted to one side, making him look so much like a curious child, his gaze looking down at the book in her lap. Considering this was one of hers, Sam decided to see what he would do with it; holding the object out in front of the mer. If he ripped it, she would just have to get another one…it was a used book as it was.

            Blinking his big green eyes, he sniffed at it, uncertain of what exactly it was. It smelled odd to him, but it also held her scent on it, so it obviously was claimed by her. He found it incredibly odd that she would be so free with her things.

          Sam just found the whole thing amusing as she pulled the book back, grateful that he’d decided it wasn’t a chew toy. Setting the book back down into her lap, she opened it to the last page she had read. The mer was staring on intently, absolutely fascinated by the unfamiliar object in her hands. She couldn’t help but smile.

           “Shall I read some for you?” She chuckled, knowing that he most likely didn’t understand a thing she said. As it was, he’d shown no signs of being able to speak with them, aside from the usual sounds of hissing and screeching. So she started to read aloud from where she left off, knowing that though he may not understand her, it was still nice to know that someone was trying to accept you.

           The jet black mer continued to watch her turn through the pages, her voice reciting over what he assumed was a written form of their language. He remembered that his people once had words to use, but they were carved into the stone and not the unfamiliar material in her hands; let alone that the language had died over the ages, lost after wars and calamities that separated them out into small clusters, nothing more than animals in the sea. He wished he could understand what she was saying, to know the story she told, and perhaps more. Since his time in captivity, she was the first one to treat him as a person, rather than an animal, to accept him as a friend, no matter how much he’d lashed out in retaliation. He wanted to know more, but in the meantime he would have to accept the way things were and simply doze off to the gentle sound of her voice.

 

 


	5. By Your Rules

Chapter 5

 

By Your Rules

 

 

 

             The blaring sound of the alarm woke her from a pleasant slumber. A grumble in her throat as she rolled over, smacking the unpleasant device; sleepy eyes glaring at the illuminated display that told it was almost noon. Even on the weekends this was as late as Sam could let herself sleep. Her ‘job’ at the aquarium had taken up a good portion of her day, and often went into the late evenings. The mer was more active at this time of day, and she knew he would be screaming in a few hours for her to feed him. In that sense he was very demanding, and she would be tugged along to reply to those demands; as it was she had become primary caretaker. Not that she minded, considering she was working with one of the rarest and secreted creatures on the planet. She did still prefer to get some sleep now and then.

             Yawning she pulled back the covers and set about preparing her things for the day. There was no point on leaving the light off, seeing as her roommate had been gone for the night; probably out with her new boyfriend. The teen hadn’t stopped talking about him for the entire time she was home. From what she had gotten from the rambles was that he was smart, and was obsessed with electronics.

             She could only shake her head at that, most guys were either to full of themselves, or tried to fake who they were around her. Her ex, Elliot, had been among the many that had tried to woo her by such means. From faking a persona to match her needs to even a fake name in attempts to allure her. And yet all he’d wanted was in her pants and at her family’s cash. She’d quickly turned him down when the scheme was unveiled.

             A sigh graced her lips as she let the shower water run. There was no time to be thinking of such things now. She still had a whole day ahead of her and a hungry mer awaiting its next meal. She could dwell on the past later.

             A good hour later and she was heading off out the doors, and down along the city streets to catch the bus to the docks. On most occasions she would head straight to the aquarium, but she still had time to kill, and felt the need to try something new. Along the docks was a large fishing market were a number of fishermen set up their stalls with their catches of the day. Despite her own distaste in eating any form of meat, and the smells that wrinkled her nose in this place, she couldn’t help but be tempted in treating her new found friend to some fresh spoils. Her uncle had mentioned testing out a few logic puzzles, seeing just how cognitive their mythical creature was. Knowing how much the mer tolerated the man, she figured he deserved something worse his troubles.

           Wandering along the shops, she picked out a number of things; a large bag of oysters, slices of calamari, fresh red snapper, sea trout, and a number of other assortments. It was a heavy haul, but overall rewarding. A talk with one of the fishermen had also been a lucky break, as the man hearing she was working for the nearby research center had been quick to help her cart the catch over. As it was, the man had been in partnership with her uncle, helping him maintain a count on the local populations as well as helping supply the center with food for its occupants. It was an overall pleasant experience, aside from when he’d asked what she was feeding. She’d been forced to come up with some excuse that it was a number of animals with picky appetites, and was grateful it had been left at that.

           By the time Sam had wandered through the backdoors of the aquarium, she could already hear the screeches of their resident mer demanding to be fed. It was a good sound, despite its ear piercing decibels, as it meant the creature was healthy and learning to adapt to the current life of captivity. Compared to several months ago, when the mer was not willing to accept food, sleep, or even come near them, he was now openly accepting food when it came to him, and had calmed significantly over time. However, her uncle had figured his acceptance of food came from how much he simply ate. The mer could go through more than half his body weight in food in a single sitting, which cut heavily into the aquarium’s budget. It was just a lucky break that the Mansons had money to spend, and Vlad Masters funded more than half of the center’s work.

          “Ah, Sam, good to see you today,” She was greeted by the friendly sight of her uncle. The red headed scientist gave a grin as he set about helping her carry the supplies, “I see you’ve been busy.”

         “Well, you mentioned you wanted to get started on those puzzles. So I figured he’d take better to it with rewards than the normal prepackaged stuff,” She made a face; the man unable to hold back a laugh at it. It was honestly true that the packages didn’t have the same appeal as fresh fish, but it was often all they had to work with. As it was, most bulk foods came prepackaged, freeze dried, or otherwise. But their new resident had a pickier and larger appetite than they could appease with it.

          Making their way out onto the patio, Sam caught sight of the dark mer darting about the water’s edge; his cries having turned into excited squeals and squawks. The water swashed about from the creature’s behavior, before the mer pulled himself out of the water completely. It snuffed the air with a look of anticipation, knowing the scent of fresh meat.

          Deciding to give him a taste of what was in store; she pulled one of the small fish out of the bag and tossed it over to him. Watching as the mer’s jaws opened, his form arching back before leaping upwards, snatching the fish and then falling backwards into the pool. The creature would then pull himself out and the process would repeat a number of times. Nate chuckled at the action as he set down his own things, preparing the little experiment whilst his niece kept the animal distracted and content.

         He set out a number of puzzles along the waterfront. They were simple things, often used in cognitive research with other animals such as chimpanzees. They ranged from fitting shapes into the proper slots, to contraptions that required a bit of thinking to obtain the morsel of food inside. Considering how quick this mythical creature was to adapt to the word around them, they felt it was necessary to test just how cognitive it was. The scientific possibility of having found another species of higher intellect was absolutely fascinating.

         After setting everything up, Nate called Sam over to bait the puzzles; the mer had dipped back into the water and followed along the edge, curious of these new toys. Over the past few months being stuck within the saltwater tank, no matter how grand it was, it quickly grew boring to the adolescent mer. He’d constantly found himself pacing about the tank, frustrated with his predicament. The only thing that pulled him out of the dull endless days was the young woman who came by every day to feed him. In most cases, he preferred to hunt for himself, but the change from the boring routine and her friendly nature drew him out from the shadows. She’d brought about a feeling he could not place, other than that he felt safe around her, and as a result he’d taken to calling out to her when he recognized the time of day she came by.

         Today brought about a different sort of curiosity. It came with the tantalizing scent of fresh meat; he couldn’t remember the last time he’d tasted it. The scent, along with the sense of safety he got from her, was enough to lead him along, knowing that he was in store for something good. However, when the mer came across the row of puzzles, he spooked, eying them suspiciously. He wandered around them in a wide circle, wary of approaching them further for fear of what they were.

          Sam just shook her head in amusement before picking up one of the simpler toys, holding it out at arm’s length towards the bewildered mer. When she’d first picked it up, he’d shrieked and coiled away from it, but as she continued to hold the strange object out to him, he became less wary and more curious. It smelled like food, but it didn’t look like it, and it was clear this was confusing the creature greatly. Eventually, the mer slinked closer, growing more and more interested, until she set the puzzle in front of him. Once again the creature spooked, jolting backwards in fright before realizing nothing had changed and approached again. He continued to snuff at it, circling it.

          There wasn’t anything special about it. It was a simple round ball, a sort of clear, crystal blue shade to it, with a single, bold green mark the size of a thumbprint on one side. But that held little interest to the dark mer. If anything, his gaze and his nose was set on the morsel of food stuck in the center of the contraption. It was food, he knew that much, but it was about as reachable as an oyster snapped shut.

          Pawing at it, he rolled it closer, twisting it around in his hands. The surface was almost completely smooth, aside from the green dot, and a ridge line that encircled the entirety of the container. He took to digging his claws in along the line, trying to pry it open by force. Yet the small crevice was so tight that he couldn’t dig in deep enough to get any leverage. A growl hung in his throat as he turned the object over and over in his hands, growing frustrated.

          The scientist and his niece watched in silence, waiting to see where it went from there. Nate took to writing notes on a small notepad he’d pulled from his pocket. So far the mer showed signs of cognitive understanding, as it took to examining the contraption thoroughly before attempting to troubleshoot opening it. However, it soon became apparent that the creature was also quick to anger, as it began to smack the offending ball against the concrete, attempting to break it open.

         A frown made its way onto Sam’s face as she watched. The dark mer was continuing to ram the object against the ground, before gnawing on it, then repeating the process. She knew this creature was capable of intelligence. She could see it in his eyes and the way he watched everything around him. But it seemed that this may have been a little too abstract for his understanding.

        Picking herself up, she pulled out a small spray bottle and proceeded to squirt the animal in the face. The mer shrieked, jolting backwards in surprise before snarling up at the bottle in offense. The snarl was greeted with another spritz, and it continued back and forth until the mer realized that the less protest he gave, the less often he was sprayed. He huffed an agitated breath before resting his head on his arms, his form coiled away from her and the contraption.

       “I’m surprised that worked…” Nate blinked, absolutely baffled by what had played out. Most times he’d attempted to stop any sort of unwanted behavior, the mer would lash out at him and grow increasingly aggressive until he relented. Yet his niece had been able to tame the beast with little difficulty.

       “He trusts me enough to listen,” Sam clipped the bottle to her belt, a frown still on her face, “It’s just a matter of him listening enough to play by my rules.”

        She wandered forward, earning a guttural hiss from the agitated animal. She paid it no head, knowing it was more in distaste towards what she was capable of rather than what she was doing. Her reasoning; he’d made no movement other than slinking back, eyeing the bottle on her waste. However, he did become opposed to her touching the ball, having already claimed it as his, he wasn’t willing to share. The snarl only earned him another shot in the face with the spray bottle.

        Sam wasn’t going to have any of it. As much as she wanted to learn from this mythical beast, he first had to learn that he would have to comply with her as much as she did with him. Over the last few months, the mer had come to respect certain boundaries; what she was willing to accept, or not. This was one of those cases where she would not. During normal feedings, she kept her distance, allowing him to be possessive of his food. But this wasn’t a normal feeding, and the mer would have to quickly learn that whenever these strange objects came into play, that she held claim over them, not the other way around.

        He continued to hold a low growl in his throat, but kept his head low as he eyed her. The mer was obviously protesting against this, but made no move to stop her. It seemed the message was getting across; this was her game, and therefore her rules.

        A curt nod was Sam’s response as she held the ball against the concrete in front of him. One of the few things she’d picked up on over the months was that if she held anything down in front of her, he quickly understood that it was her’s and left it alone. Now it was just a matter of moving on to the next step of letting him know he could interact with it without becoming possessive.

        Tapping the ball with her fingers, she eyed him, watching his reaction as she scooted closer, bringing the object within strike range. The mer shifted backwards when she drew near, now wary of the ball and the potential deterrent that came with it. Perhaps the spray bottle had been a bit much, seeing as he was now unwilling to approach it despite the smell of food. Thus she needed to show him that the intended purpose was not to run him off from it.

         Turning the ball in hand, she aimed the side with the green mark towards him, pressing it. The mer spooked as the contraption popped open, but halted halfway as the smell of the food became stronger now that it was exposed to the open air. She then tossed the bit of fish towards him and he immediately snatched it up; looking over expectantly for more.

        “Let’s try this again, shall we?” She smiled, before turning her attention over towards her uncle.

        Nate complied by pulling out another bit of fish and handing it over. He’d quickly grown to understand that the mer had little patience for him, and despite being an experienced handler, knew that this wasn’t his playing field.

        As it was, the mer growled at him the moment he moved, but was quickly distracted by the morsel of fresh meat as it passed hands. He wanted to snatch it up and devour all of it, scooting in, clearly keen on taking it. But he was sorely disappointed as the morsel was removed from his grasp and put into the offending puzzle. The mer made his protests clear as he growled low in his throat and coiled away. He didn’t like these new rules.

        Sam just smiled in attempts to reassure him before rolling the ball towards him. The creature visibly bristled at it, expecting it to be some sort of trap. That if he reached out towards it at any moment, it would result in punishment. Yet, glancing over at the goth girl, he found her sitting with her hands in her lap. There was no indication that she would leap up at him if he went for it. If anything, she was encouraging him to take it. It seemed the rule was not that he couldn’t have it, but when he was allowed to have it.

        He eyed it skeptically; uncertain of whether or not she was pulling a trick on him. There was no sign that she was going to take it from him, at least not yet. Thus he let himself move towards it, glancing up at her every few moments to gauge whether or not the back off. So far it was all clear. Taking the puzzle in his webbed hands, he ran his fingers over it, looking over at her warily. Sam only nodded at him, and he finally understood that she wasn’t going to take it from him.

        She had opened it so easily. No smacking it against the rock, no prying it open. It had been so easy, he couldn’t comprehend how. Letting the ball roll in his hands now, he examined it further than he had before. It was like an oyster’s shell, and yet it wasn’t. There was a trick to it, some sort of strange, unfamiliar method to open it. The question was what? Looking at it now, he could see what he wanted on the inside, the crevice that indicated where the two halves met, and the odd green mark on the side. Now that he looked at it further, he could see that the clarity of the object dulled around it, seeming to interconnect the two pieces. The young woman had also held her fingers over it, tapping at it as if it held some sort of significance.

        He ran his fingers over the mark. The texture changed across its surface, and he felt it shift under the pressure. Perhaps this was the secret? He prodded at the mark, uncertain of what would happen. The button in turn, pushed in a tad, before returning to its original state. The fact that it had yielded slightly had been enough to garner his attention. Turning the ball around in his hands, he brought his thumb over the mark, pressing in with a bit more force, and to his pleasant surprise, the container responded; popping open to reveal the treat inside.

         Sam and her uncle looked on as the mer succeeded and claimed his prize. It truly was an astonishing feat to see how quickly he adapted to the situation. The creature now was fiddling with the contraption, becoming more familiar with how it worked; closing it and opening it over and over.

         “It’s truly unbelievable. Never have any of the marine animals learned so quickly,” Nate practically beamed with excitement. He’d all but forgotten about writing notes at this point, too fascinated by the sight in front of him to pay attention to parchment in his hands.

          “I had a feeling he was smart,” Sam grinned, watching him play with the puzzle, “He just has that look in his eyes.”

          “That he understands you?”

          “Yeah, like that”

          “Maybe we should see if he can learn to talk?”

          She chuckled at this. Her uncle was getting a little ahead of himself. He tended to do that whenever he got excited.

         “Maybe later. It’s still a bit too soon to be trying something that complicated,” She sighed before picking herself up again. It was time to move onto something new. The mer growled when she reached out to take the toy from him, but quickly relented when she went for the bottle. He still didn’t like this idea of sharing, but he also didn’t like the punishment that came with it. Being in the water was one thing, being out of it and having it forcefully directed at the face was another.

        Not wanting to leave him agitated for too long, Sam quickly replaced the first puzzle with a new one. The new contraption was a rectangular slab of wood; the top of it showing several slots carved into it, and small disks set into them. It was overall, a simple sliding puzzle. The question was, whether or not the animal could figure it out, or if it would throw another tantrum.

         The dark mer eyed the new puzzle warily. He hadn’t become familiarized with this one, that and he wasn’t certain where the claim landed on it yet. Judging from the look in the woman’s eyes, he could only take a gander that this new trinket fell under the same rules as the first one.

         He approached it with caution, taking in the overall appearance of the item. It was different from the other one, but still held the unusual bits and pieces that made it as unusual as the first. Prodding the item, he took to feeling it out, trying to figure out what exactly made it work. Obviously it didn’t respond to the touch the same way the other did, as the disks didn’t give when he pressed them.

         Growing frustrated, he started pawing at it, scratching at it with his claws, until he noticed it shift. So that’s how it worked… He blinked, going from frustrated to curious as he shifted to the other side. The disks wouldn’t press in like the button had, or come out from their designated slots, but he quickly realized that they could slide. Giving it a satisfied push, the mer succeeded in his trials and pulled out the small nibble of shrimp. He then got to work opening the others with greater ease.

         Once he’d finished emptying the contraption of all its contents, he pushed the object aside. It seemed he’d finally come to the understanding that the object wasn’t his to claim, but the food within was, if he could get at it properly. The problem now was that the puzzles had only given him a mouthful, and he wanted more than they could offer.

         The look he gave them had been enough to make Sam laugh. As much as he screeched and squawked whenever she came by to feed him, he never really begged. It might have been the new rules she’d put into play, or simply the fact that the mer was willing to give up a bit of pride for a mouthful of food. Either way, the lopsided ears and the tilted head had been enough to sprout amusement. Thus she relented and tossed a few fish his way.

         The rest of the evening had been spent treating the creature to a pleasant feast of well-deserved fish. And the mer took to it all too well, as by the end of the meal he’d fallen asleep with his head in Sam’s lap.

          “He’s almost like a big aquatic dog, isn’t he?” Nate mused, putting away the tools and other trinkets they’d brought with them.

           It was honestly a funny sight, seeing such a large and proud creature curled up like an overgrown puppy. There was even a long, heavy purr in the mer’s throat as Sam stroked its head.

           “I think he’s more than that… I just hope we can better understand him someday,” she sighed, running her fingers through the mer’s hair. It was so long, trailing along his back in messy coils, and once again she felt the need to tie it back.

           The mer was currently content, his belly distended from the sheer amount of food he’d scarfed down, and was now snuggled into the only comfort he currently knew, sound asleep. He didn’t mind the sensation of her fingers in his hair, if anything he subconsciously nuzzled them, his ear giving a flick now and then from the feeling.

          Perhaps now was a good time. She gave a soft smile before reaching up and removing her own tie, letting hair fall to join the rest of it. It honestly felt odd, not having something she was so familiar with there, but it felt right doing this. It made him seem more…human.

          Taking the tie, she let her fingers brush out his hair into its long strands, pulling them back into a loose ponytail. It was honestly cute, seeing how it now looked so tidy despite being such a natural mess. As far as she was concerned, it looked rather befitting on him.

            “Well if you’re going to get attached to him, he might as well have a name,” Nate grinned as he hunkered down next to her. Aside from the few times he’d handled the mer, he’d never really had the chance to just stop and see the creature in such a relaxed state. It had taken many months for them to get this far, to have an originally hostile and stressed out animal so content in its environment to where it would even sleep in their arms.

            Sam just smiled, letting her fingers run along the mer’s scales in gentle circles. It truly was a sight to see, and she felt like she was among one of the luckiest people on earth.

            “…Danny. His name will be Danny.”

            “Danny? That’s an interesting name. And here I thought you were going to go for something dark and spooky,” The older scientist laughed.

          She could only shake her head in amusement. True, she had mulled over such dark and creepy names, as was her love of all things gothic, but in all honesty, despite the mer’s unusual coloring, it didn’t fit him. He just seemed too proud, too pure and strong to be named such. His eyes always seemed to be watching, always trying to understand. He needed an uplifting name, but at the same time, she felt it needed to be a human one. This mythical creature was more than just an animal; he was practically a person in his own right. Thus it just seemed to stick. She nodded to her own confirmation as she continued run her fingers through his hair.

         “His name is Danny.”

 


	6. It All Starts With One

Chapter 6

 

It All Starts With One

 

 

 

            The jet black mer rolled over to one side, arms stretching out across the sands with a contented yawn. The water was warm, and the tide lulled gently from side to side; his belly was full, and it all made him feel happy and lazy. He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt that way, considering that he knew the world around him was an imitation, and that he was trapped. Perhaps it had just been the fish. It had been a long time since he’d had a meal that satisfying, even out in the open waters, he couldn’t remember such a large variety of flavors. It left him licking over his fangs at the memory, almost able to taste it. But there was still something different. Something he couldn’t place; and it wasn’t the taste of the food.

             Jolting upwards, he tumbled back as soon as he felt the odd tug at the back of his head. A hiss building in his throat as he whirled, claws drawn and aimed at his attacker, and yet, there wasn’t one. There was no sign of any enemy. However, the nagging pull was still there, agitating the back of his head. He squirmed, struggling to grasp at whatever was causing his distress. Catching it in his fingers and yanking, the harassing object pulled free, and he could finally view the pest for what it was.

             What graced him wasn’t what he had expected. Stretched around his fingertips, was a purple band, elastic in its nature, and yet resisting the strain his hands put upon it. It was an odd, unfamiliar thing. It left the mer puzzling over where it had come from or why it was even in his hair to start with. But the more he stared at it, the more familiar it had become, and the scent that lingered on it told him just who it belonged to. He could see it in his memory, the purple glinting in the light from where it rested, tied up in smooth black hair.

            His eyes widened in realization. This belonged to the human female, Sam; that was what he heard them call her. He found it was an odd sounding call, and that it was near impossible to make himself, but the fact that she would respond to it when the others made that sound, made him sure it was a call she identified by. But why would she give him something like this, a part of herself? She couldn’t possibly hold that sort of interest in him, and yet right in front of him was the one thing that threw him for a loop.

            The dark mer held a hand up to his chest, trying to settle his beating heart. In all the years he’d spent alone along the reefs, his call unheard within the wild waters; he’d never believed that with losing his freedom, he’d find a possible mate. The problem, she was a whole world away, both in species, and in communication.

            How was any of this going to work? He couldn’t even speak the same language, let alone call her name. A soft whine hung within his throat, and his ear fins lowered as he brought his gaze back down upon the tie within his hands. It was such a simple object, with such a complex meaning. The first sign that she was wanting to reach out to him, to get to know him, to be a part of him. If she was willing to try and breach the barrier between their worlds, why shouldn’t he?

            The creaking sound of a door interrupted his thoughts. He blinked, mildly confused; it was too early for her to be here. His eyes narrowed as his senses honed in on the intruder, making his way to the surface to get a look at who dared to step into the exhibit. It may have been a prison to him, but this prison was still his domain, and he wasn’t about to let anyone waltz in like they owned the place.

            Cresting the surface, he watched in silence as the man drew near, and quickly recognized the redheaded male for who he was. He’d never liked the man, but then again it was like that with most males. Probably the only reason he tolerated the scientist was that he smelt familial, rather than a potential competitor. But if he was family, then perhaps it was wiser to not make an enemy of the human male.

            The biologist was currently meddling with a number of the containers that lined the wall along the far end of the patio. He’d always been confused as to what they were. All he knew was that some of them smelled of food. In truth, he wasn’t far off. It was just that the food wasn’t meant for him.

            Nate scooped up a decent sized cup of pellets, giving the container a shake to ensure that the measurement was right. He could feel the burning emerald eyes of the jet black mer on him, and could only find himself shaking his head. The creature had never come to like him very much, tolerated, maybe, but grew quickly irritated with him and was more than willing to take a snap at him. Though there was something odd about today, usually he was quick to cause a fuss once he saw who was in the enclosure, but the mer hadn’t made so much as a hiss. It almost left a warning bell in the back of the young scientist’s mind, as it wasn’t uncommon for their aquatic resident to ambush. And yet the dark mer continued to just swim along the edge of the pool, eyeing him with a curious and yet wary eye.

            It wasn’t helping his conscience considering that what he would have to do next would likely ruin this reprieve. Aside from feeding the rest of the tank’s inhabitants, the vet Mr. Masters had called in had gotten back to him on test results, and that they’d managed to make some viable vaccinations via the blood samples they’d managed to collect during the incident months prior. In truth, Nate didn’t agree with the idea, considering that there was a strong chance that immunizations would backfire due to strange genetics, and the animal would likely become hostile soon after. But it seemed his coworker would have none of it, and had taken it a step ahead of him, using the samples they’d acquired and created medicines specifically for their resident mer. It had resulted in an argument between the two men, considering that there was a strong chance such things would only have ill effects, yet there was also the concern of the creature growing sick from human contact, or if they could get sick from him. In the end Vlad won out, wielding the test results of the animal’s blood work, which held positive on both concerns for crossing illnesses.

           Nate could only heave a sigh, as he wandered over to the edge of the pool, sprinkling in the line of pellets and watching the flickers of color as the reef fish were spun into a feeding frenzy. The jet black mer remained quiet throughout the feeding, almost seeming disinterested in the mixture of fish food. Instead the creature just gave a flick of his tail and hoisted itself up over the ledge, stretching out contentedly. The scientist raised a brow at this, seeing as the mer never took on a relaxed state whenever he was near, and began to wonder what exactly was going on through its head. The mer in turn just rolled his head to one side and looked at him strangely.

           Shaking his head, the redheaded man turned back to the crates and dug through to find something of interest for the mer to eat. He could tell from the lack of interest that he wasn’t very hungry, and the bloated belly of the beast was another sign, it was more just a means to try and appease him before things went downhill again. Usually most animals would just act offended for a short time, but would usually forget about it soon enough. He doubted this creature, with its intelligence, would forgive him for what he would have to do.

           Finding a bag of shrimp, he jostled it a bit, catching the mer’s full attention. Even though he wasn’t very hungry, the scent of food was still a tantalizing treat. Thus the mer picked itself up to sit, eyeing the bag with interest. As much as he didn’t like the scientist, he knew he’d have to get used to him, seeing as the man would never leave him be, and he was family to Sam. At the very least he knew he liked shrimp.

           Nate brought himself down to crouch in front of the beast, watching as it eyed him warily. He knew there was a decent amount of uncertainty, as the mer’s posture shifted from agitated, to nervous, to curious, and back to nervous again. He just hoped that he wasn’t going to end up in a hospital after all of this.

          The first tidbit of food was accepted after a moment’s hesitation, but it became a steadier, more open acceptance with each bite. It was a good sign, seeing as the mer wouldn’t take food from him before. After a few bites, he decided it was now or never to see if the mer would trust him enough for this, though the most likely response would be the creature biting him again. Setting the bag of shrimp down, he warily reached into his side bag to pull out the syringe. The mer, having been more interested in the shrimp attempted to ignored him until he caught sight of the syringe.

           The sight of the unfamiliar sharp object immediately drew a hiss from the mer’s throat. Though he wasn’t certain of what it was, he knew something that could cause pain when he saw it. The snarl had been enough to stop the young scientist in his tracks, the needle half pulled out of the bag. He couldn’t help the meek smile that hung on his lips. It was too soon, way too soon for him to even be attempting something so risky. Putting the tool away, he just tossed another shrimp the male’s way. It wasn’t wise to test the mer’s trust yet, especially when the creature had made such a breakthrough in trying to trust him.

           “Sorry boy, didn’t mean to scare you,” the scientist gave a sigh, as he moved his hands back towards the bag of shrimp.

           It had been enough to calm the mer, and in the end the interaction had only been treating the animal to a small snack. Giving him shots was important, yes, but it felt like the wrong way to go about it. Nate mulled over the options in his head. Perhaps he could convince his coworker to make a pill form. With the way the mer swallowed most fish whole, it wouldn’t be difficult to hide the medicine in food, rather than traumatize him with a needle. In the end it meant he would have to have another long discussion with the man.

           The mer watched him go, confused by his actions. He wasn’t certain as to what that thing was, but the man had been respectful enough to put it away at the warning. He could also respect that the man was trying to build trust between them, and yes it also felt like the man treated him more as an animal than an individual, but he hoped to change that perspective over time. But he had other things to think about, and his stomach now fuller than before, was demanding a nap.

           It wasn’t until several hours later that his nap was disturbed by the sound of the door. In most cases he would have been irritated, but the clacking of boots upon the floor was an indication that it was whom he’d been hoping for. He’d darted up towards the surface to greet her, only to realize he’d left her gift somewhere along the sandy floor. He turned tail and began to frantically search along the bottom in search of the simple hair tie.

           Sam heaved a tired breath, setting her book bag down and bringing herself down to rest upon the rocks. It was awfully quiet compared to most days. Usually whenever she set foot through the back door the mer was all antsy and excited. The fact that he hadn’t even breached the surface had her concerned. Leaning over the edge of patio, she could see the dark form of the mer’s tail as he swam circles within the tank. It was mesmerizing how fast he moved, the mer’s form almost a blur. It left her so transfixed that when he plowed through the surface, it startled her, falling back with a yelp.

           “Danny! Don’t scare me like that!” She scowled; a hand on her chest to calm her beating heart.

            He just tilted his head at her, wondering why she was so upset. Though he instantly feared it was due to the lack of the tie within his hair, and his form lowered almost apologetically. Sam could only shake her head and sigh at the action before adjusting her seating once again and patting the ground besides her. There was no way she could remain mad at this creature.

             The mer was happy to oblige, pulling his form out of the water and taking a seat next to her. He still held the apologetic look in his eyes as he held the hair tie in between his teeth. Through the whole day, he’d forgotten that he’d ripped the item from his hair before realizing it was a present and now he sorely feared he’d ruined the whole thing. However, at the sight of the tie between his teeth, she couldn’t help but laugh.

            “Oh silly,” she smiled, taking the band from him.

             At first she wasn’t sure as to whether or not she could put the tie back in his hair. Now that the creature was conscious and aware of what she was holding within her hands, there was a strong chance he would retaliate or find the action offensive. Last thing she wanted was to get bit and lose whatever trust this animal had trusted in her.

             The mer in question, Danny, just looked on at the small purple band within her fingers. Though the human girl no longer showed signs of anger, he was still fearful that he’d terribly upset her with the tie’s removal. In attempts to console whatever ill will she possibly still had over it, he cooed softly, trying to convey his apology.

              It was honestly funny, hearing such a soft, almost whimpering sound coming from the usually aggressive and proud mer. Yet it was also a sign that he trusted her, and understood that it wasn’t a threatening object. Now the question was could she put his hair up again?

              Reaching out with a wary hand, she pet over his head, and much to her surprise, he nuzzled into her fingertips. She couldn’t help the gentle smile that graced her lips as she continued to run her fingers over and through his hair; listening to the soft purr that began to rumble in his chest. Pulling together the last bit of courage, she gathered up his hair in her hands and proceeded to tie it back once more. Danny simply gave a grumble of discomfort to the unusual sensation, but overall let her do as she pleased, and by the time she finished, he was reaching up, trying to feel out the new addition to his ‘outfit’.

             “Oh Danny, you silly boy,” She couldn’t help but chuckle at his actions. The mer was now circling around, attempting to get a look at the back of his head with no success. He only stopped when she called out to him again, his head tilting in confusion.

             That was the second time he’d heard that strange sounding call come from her, both times they’d been directed at him. Perhaps it was coincidence, but he couldn’t help the feeling that ran along his spine; the feeling that she was calling him by that particular sound. He could only tilt his head in question, unable to understand her words, and wishing he could.

            “Come here Danny. I brought a new book this time,” She patted the concrete next to her, and the mer complied, scooting over to take a seat next to her, his gaze focusing in on the piece of literature, “I doubt you’ll find it all that interesting though. It’s just philosophy.”

            She rolled her eyes at the last part, having no interest in the subject herself, but alas, school work was school work and it had to get done one way or another.

            The dark mer in turn, just rested his head upon his webbed hands, one ear raised up as he listened to her read aloud. Once again he couldn’t understand any of the words, just the drawling roll of sound that made up some sort of language he was unfamiliar with; that didn’t stop him from trying to mouth the words as she spoke them.

            Yet there was the one nagging feeling in the back of his mind, keeping him from focusing fully on the book. Three times he’d heard the same call. Three times it had been directed straight at him. He couldn’t help but wonder, if it was his name; if she had given him something to go by, an essence, a being. Did he finally have a call of his own? A name that he could define as his? He wasn’t able to continue mulling on such thoughts as a loud, unusual sound rang out startling him.

            Sam sighed in irritation as her phone rang out, resulting in the mer’s panicked shrieks. She ignored his cries as she pulled the offending device out of her bag. It continued to ring out loudly until answered.

            “Hello? Yeah, I remember. Wait, that was today?! Crud! I’ll be over as soon as I can,” She turned, putting away her things before turning back towards her aquatic friend, “Sorry Danny. I forgot about a few things I have to take care of. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

            She smiled over at Danny who just looked up at her in confusion. Shaking her head, she just sighed softly before picking up her bag and heading out, giving a gentle wave as she closed the door behind her.

            The dark mer just tilted his head over to one side, very confused as to what had just occurred. By now he thought he’d be used to her comings and goings, but they were never so abrupt, or unusual. But what felt more unusual than anything else was the name… The sound she kept using…. He’d heard a number of sounds that were repeated, but they were simple; connections that only pieced together other sounds to form phrases. This new sound had been directed at him, over and over again, and he was almost certain of it. It was a name, his name. Something he’d never been gifted with over the years, his mother had refused to grace him with the honor of a name, for fear of what it would bring. Yet this woman, this human lady, had given him a name, a purpose.

            He could feel his heart thrum in his chest. He didn’t have to be alone anymore, didn’t have to be a phantom of the deep. She was willing to be there for him, to treat him as a friend, to give him a sense of self. It was only right that he should return such feelings. But he had nowhere to start… until his gaze fell upon something left upon the rocks. In her rush, she’d left behind the book; its old pages folded closed upon the concrete.

            Raising a hesitant hand, he reached out and touched it, feeling the smooth texture of the cover. He couldn’t begin to understand what lay written inside of it. Running his fingers along the book, he opened it to a random page and let his gaze peruse over the paper. He could see the words in black print across the page, but without knowing what symbols matched what sound, he had no building blocks to start with. A grumble of frustration hung within his chest. He had a lot to learn and no building blocks to start from. Guess you have to swim before you can float…. He scowled before curling up upon the patio and attempting to decipher the texts. Gotta start somewhere.

 


	7. Stepping Stones

Chapter 7

 

 

Stepping Stones

 

 

 

            Fingers tapped along hard oak whilst a scowl crossed the face of their owner. Vlad Masters stared on at the screen before him with a look of deep thought. For the past few months he’d been watching that screen, searching for anything he could put to use. The cameras he’d had installed within the Center did their work just fine, it was simply what they showed that left him thinking.

            The aquarium’s newest resident was growing with the place and of its handlers, but it was still hidden from the eyes of the public, along with the primary attraction. And it was beginning to hurt his numbers. Since they day they’d found the mer off the Florida coast, he’d been keen to study it himself and bring the discovery to the world’s attention. However much to his dismay, the creature took hostile to his approach, and his ‘partner’ found it wiser to give it time to adapt and grow used to them. Well he’d given them time…

            The creak of the door brought his attention up from the display. Standing in the doorway looking rather sheepish was the young scientist himself, with his disheveled red hair and worn out clothes; sometimes he wondered why the man was even let into his office the way he was, but there wasn’t much he could do to change that. It wasn’t like the man could buy himself new clothes the way he lived; probably why he’d come striking up a deal to have the research center funded. Not that Vlad minded, he needed a new supplier in the exotic, and the man’s affinity to the wild world made him the perfect tool for the trade. Now it was a matter of putting that tool to use.

            “Did the vaccinations go over well?” He mused, knowing full well from what he’d seen that the man had backed down the moment the mer had hissed at him.

            “Actually, that’s, one of the reasons I’m here,” Nate rubbed the back of his head nervously, and Vlad new the excuses were coming.

            “I’m guessing that’s a no…”

            “It’s too soon. There’s a good chance we’ll ruin whatever trust we’ve built with him. I could see it in his eyes, the moment I went to reach for it. He’s only just started to let me in, and I know he won’t give me a second chance if I blow it now,” A sigh escaped the young scientist’s lips whilst he stared into the ‘lion’s mouth’. His boss hadn’t made any move to yell at him for his ‘incompetence’, but the look in the man’s eyes told of the growing agitation right below the surface.

            “So, in other words, you’re telling me that you won’t vaccinate the animal because you fear it will break its trust?”

            “Not fear. I know it would…”

            “Then what pray tell do you suggest?” the billionaire leaned back into his seat, waving a hand in inquiry. It wasn’t a friendly gesture; more of a warning that he was growing tired of the excuses and was going to obtain the results he wanted, one way or another.

            “Perhaps altering the medicine? Make it into a consumable form? It would be easier to slip it into his food unnoticed,” Nate pleaded. It wasn’t often that he asked such a thing, but he also knew this battle was far from over.

            “Changing the medicine into a consumable is time consuming and expensive,” He waved the biologist off, turning to pour himself another cup of coffee, “The budget can’t afford such a modification.”

            “And what of the worth we’ve put into this? Is it worth losing it?” The red head frowned. His eyes locking onto the older man’s who’d stopped mid sip to acknowledge the stare down.

            “Then find something to make it worth keeping, Mr. Manson… Find a way to increase the center’s profits before I go throwing money into a sink.. Maybe open the main exhibit, or lay off a few people,” Vlad sat back, setting his cup down upon the desk as he watched the scowl deepen on his colleague’s face.

            “You know as well as I do that I can’t do that… It’s too early into the center’s opening to be laying off anyone when we should be hiring. And... Danny barely trusts us handlers, let alone anyone else. Opening the main exhibit would only antagonize him. We’re a rescue and research center, not a zoo…” Nate’s expression steeled over as he spoke, a sign that he wasn’t going to budge from this perspective.

            Vlad only quirked a brow at this; the name had been expected seeing as the man before him was the animal lover type and had grown attached enough to personify the creature. Though there was still the matter of settling this matter in his favor…

            “Then find something to encourage the profits to keep your little search and rescue open. Especially if you intend to waste it on semantics…”

 

____________________________________________

 

 

            “Hey, did you hear the news?”

            Sam startled from her thoughts as a pair of hands landed upon the back of her chair; whirling round only to be greeted by the face of her roommate, she couldn’t help but grimace. She never liked being interrupted while she was reading, but then again, she had chosen to study at the school library before class, and the library, despite their running reputation, wasn’t as quiet as one would think with all the hustle and bustle. Thus she was forced to heave a sigh and bear with the social obstacle.

            “No, I haven’t. What news?” she frowned, watching as Valery plopped down onto the couch across from her, followed by a tall, but scrawny young man that she could only gander was the boyfriend she kept going on about, “Tucker, right?”

            He nodded cordially, adjusting his glasses as he smiled, “Nice to meet you in person.”

            “Likewise. So, news?”

            “Right. I’m actually surprised you don’t know about it, considering you practically live there,” Val grinned playfully at the scowl she received in response, though it was practically the truth. The goth barely came into the room except to sleep.

            “Get to the point, Val,” she frowned, taking the tease for what it was, but couldn’t help that her heart had skipped a beat. If the news about the center was big enough to reach her roommate’s ears, she could only fear that it pertained to the secret hidden within its sanctum.

            She swallowed visibly, catching glimpse of inquiry in the boyfriend’s eyes; having picked up on the social cues that signaled her distress. She attempted to ignore it, focusing her gaze back on her female friend.

            “Alright. So the Aquatic Center’s opened up a marine biology course with the school for the upcoming semester and class picks are next month. Figured, maybe you’d like to check it out?”

            Sam blinked. Any defense she’d been formulating in her mind deflated in an instant. In all honesty, it wasn’t expected, and her confusion quickly turned into irritation as to why she hadn’t known about this beforehand when she saw her uncle at least once a day, “So how’d you find out about this?”

            She watched as her roommate grinned from ear to ear, a look of victory had having such privileged information. Tucker however had taking on a look of confusion, filing some sort of question for later.

            “My dad works for the board, and the last meeting they’d been discussing the new classes. Supposedly it was something they’d been thinking about but never acted on until now, though I dunno why it was so sudden. I figured you’d want the insiders notification if you didn’t already have it. After all, the sign-ups are going to be first come first serve and since you’re always there, why not credit for it?” Valery crossed her arms behind her head, looking smug. Sam apparently understood the message as a frown held its place upon her expression.

            “I’m guessing that this information isn’t for free. So what do you want…?”

            “Aww, you caught me,” Val mused, pulling up a mock pout whilst dropped her arms back into her lap,” I know it’s a lot…. But, can I please copy your history homework? I know I should of procrastinated, but it’s due tomorrow!”

            Sam nearly fell out of her chair, staring blankly up at her. Honestly it wasn’t what she had expected, and she’d been expecting a lot worse.

            “That’s it?”

            Valery rolled her eyes, “Oh please, I’m not an extortionist. I’m not about to ask to borrow your car or something like that.”

            “Alright.”

            She blinked in astonishment as Sam pulled out a notebook from her back and handed it over to her. Turning it over in her hands, she stared at it, almost disbelievingly before raising her gaze back up to her friend, “Just like that? No argument about morals or anything?”

            “No reason to,” Sam shrugged, tossing a piece of gum into her mouth before packing up her things, “A deals a deal. Besides, you’ve given me a reason to go yell at someone.”

            They blinked in confusion as she grinned like the devil before turning to leave, “Just put it on my desk when you’re done with it.”

 

____________________________________

 

            “Mind telling me why you thought it was a good idea to start teaching classes?” Sam frowned, crossing her arms as she watched her uncle scoop fish food into a number of buckets. It only earned her a chuckle from the older man.

            To say that he was surprised by the conversation would have been false, considering the sound of his niece’s boots clacking upon the tile as she’d entered the facility foretold of her growing temper. From which she was quick to pursue and question the audacity of his academic pursuits.

            “The center needed some extra funding in order to afford some new medicines,” Nate shrugged, hauling the buckets along from exhibit to exhibit, Sam on his heels, “We can’t open the main exhibit while our aquatic friend resides there, and I’m not willing to lay anyone off, so I figured that marine biology first hand would be both an eye opening experience as well as profitable. Besides, it sounds like fun; I’ve always wanted to teach a class.”

            He grinned at the thought whilst watching the fish swarm at the introduction of food; they were always so active at feeding time.

            “Do you even have credentials to teach a class?” she frowned skeptically, tossing a handful of food in as well.

            “I do actually. I decided it was a smart investment when I got my degree. I guess I was right in the long run,” he mused, moving on to the next tank; hungry mouths a waiting.

            “But what if some of them get stupid and try to sneak off? What if they find their way into the main exhibit? What then?” It was a justifiable question. If someone snuck into the exhibit and saw, or was injured by its secret resident, the news would spread like wild fire. And yet, the young scientist was not the least bit perturbed by that fact.

            “There’s a reason they invented locks, Sammy,” he grinned ear to ear, only earning himself a face full of fish flakes as a result of the nickname.

            The conversation had turned into playful chatter from there as they made their way up to their final destination. Though what greeted them was not what they had expected.

            Instead of the excited yowls and screeches of their resident mer demanding food, they were graced by an eerie silence. The only sounds came from the artificial tide and mild scratching along the concrete.

            The sight itself was also unexpected, as instead of the sloshing waves and frantic swimming, the jet black mer lay coiled up, completely out of the water, and judging from the dry appearance of his scales, he’d not returned to the water in some while.

            “Please tell me he hasn’t beached himself,” Sam stared on fearfully while her uncle calculated the possibilities that could have caused his distress.

            But it wasn’t distress that they found. As they drew near, the mer raised his head to look over at them, giving a soft chirp in recognition before turning back to whatever held his interest. What they found next was an astonishing sight; for held within his webbed hands, was none other than Sam’s philosophy book.

            “So that’s where it went,” she half muttered to herself, remembering that she’d searched everywhere for it with no success.

            Since the book had been left by the water, Danny had taken a keen interest in it. Determined to understand her language, he had proceeded to open the novel and try to decipher it with little success. His first lesson was finding that the pages did not take kindly to saltwater and thus he waited till his hands had dried to handle it.

            Hours upon hours; he’d spent the night running over the text and trying to understand its meaning or sounds. He found that most of the symbols repeated in some order or another and had taken to clawing each one he found into the stone beside him. Though despite distinguishing each letter on its own, he could not place a sound with them, and thus attempting to formulate an audible word with them was frustratingly useless. By the time Sam had peered over his shoulder, he’d scrawled down a majority of the alphabet and a few numerals, all of which were in no particular order.

            “Nate, you need to take a look at this!”

            Said scientist warily made his way over, the dark mer deciding to ignore him though for the most part was completely confused by the reactions of his human caretakers. Was it honestly that surprising that he wanted to learn how to speak a language apart from his own? He’d heard of other mers speaking different tongues separate from the ones he knew of. Didn’t humans also have others that spoke differently and try to learn them too? He tilted his head up at them, unable to decipher their expressions.

            “This is… astounding,” Nate breathed, running his fingers over the damaged cement, “We knew he was cognizant, but to this extreme. Never in the animal kingdom have we seen this before…”

            It was honestly far beyond what he’d expected; to think that this creature, hidden from humanity as some sort of myth, was consciously aware to the point of understanding, and possibly learning their language. It made some of the old sea tales sound as if they could have been true. The question remained what to do with such a discovery in the here and now.

            “Give me a just a sec,” the biologist excused himself briefly, returning a few moments later with a large box in his arms, “I remember you asking about this last time we set up the logic puzzles. I figured at the time, that it might be a bit much, but now, I think they should work with what we’ve got.”

            He set the container down in front of their curious eyes, unveiling the contents to be a number of softball sized foam cubes, each printed with individual letters on all sides.

            The mer’s interest was instantly peaked, pulling one of the cubes over and examining it with fascination before moving onto the next. His gaze constantly shifted from the scrawled text to the letters upon the blocks, recognizing them as the same symbols he’d been trying to decipher.

            “Alphabet blocks?” Sam turned one over in her hands, identifying the letter inscribed on all sides.

            “The fact that he is able to distinguish characters in written text makes it highly probably that he can be taught our language. There’s also the chance that he can understand the context within pictures as well. If so, he could very well learn,” Nate smiled at the concept.

            If this unusual creature could understand them, it could be one of the biggest breakthroughs in scientific history. Though, the question still remained on if it possible. Their mermian friend was intelligent enough to recognize his own reflection, but was also easily frustrated. It would take a bit of patience for anything to truly bear fruit.

            He turned his gaze over towards the jet black mer; the creature rummaging over the blocks in fascination before attempting to arrange them into simple words, probably repeated ones he’d picked up from the book. Though judging from their random order and look of confusion on the mer’s face, the creature held little understanding of their meaning.

            Of the random words, Sam was able to make out water, sun, and time. Taking the cubes that spelled out water, she lined them up facing the mer before reciting it to him.

            After a brief moment of confusion, Danny’s eyes seemed to light up with intrigue as she repeated the word. He now understood the sound this small set of characters made and he mouthed the word silently as she repeated it once more. So now he knew what the word sounded like, but what did it mean? How was it used? His look of confusion must have been understood as Sam turned and wandered to the edge of the pool. His gaze followed her as she pointed towards the exhibit.

            “Water,” she smiled over at him, attempting to keep herself calm. She could see the mer mouth the word once more, though the look in his eyes was asking for better emphasis. She complied by scooping up a handful, holding it in view before repeating.

            Realization sparked. The dark mer’s gaze shifted between her hand and back to the pool, mouthing the now familiar word once more. Water was what they called it; the barrier that separated his word from theirs.

            The last two words were a bit difficult to try and describe. As it was, they were indoors, which meant no sign of the sun, and time was a concept rather than a tangible object, which was a bit too in depth for a starting point. Sam took a moment to ponder over this before turning her questioning gaze towards her uncle, causing the man to tap his chin in though.

            The look between the two humans was not missed by their aquatic companion, as her chirped at them before mouthing something else. Its meaning however, was sadly lost to them, and it became clear that it would take more than silent lip reading to be understood.

            “Perhaps I can bring by some children’s books later and see how well he responds to pictures in comparison to words,” Nate hummed, watching as the mer in question was now growing frustrated and had taken to messing with the blocks to see if he could make sense of it on his own. It left a chuckle in the scientist’s throat as he took in the irritated display, “Why don’t you introduce him to the alphabet while I get him something to eat”

            Sam just rolled her eyes as he got up and wandered over towards the fridge before turning back to the task at hand. Danny was currently ignoring the two of them, grabbing at different blocks and examining them in irritation, and the more frustrated he became, the less likely he was to focus, which left the goth with finding a means to an end.

            She managed to successfully halt his agitated actions with a hand over the next block he’d been about to grab, and making no sign of giving it over as she pulled it closer to herself and stared unblinking at him. The mer quickly quieted, familiar with the gesture from previous lessons; it was her claim and he respected it as such. That didn’t stop him from giving a whine of complaint at the loss.

            After a few moments of stillness, Sam figured he’d calmed enough to focus on the task at hand and took to arranging the blocks in alphabetical order. An occasional glance showed the initial confusion, but it eventually faded into a mild understanding. It left the question in mind; if he possibly understood the concept of a language’s alphabet, yet he never showed signs of having a language of his own, just the hisses and growls like other creatures when displaying their disposition. Perhaps his kind did have a language, but he could not speak it. Perhaps he was mute, just like some people were. She shook her head. It was too much to think on at that moment. Turning back to what she had started, she began to recite each latter and gauge his response.

            Danny seemed to hold a relative curiosity; ears perked and head tilting from side to side as she spoke. Yet he struggled to decipher how each letter formed new sounds when put into words, finding that, like with ‘water’, the sounds changed when characters were combined in different orders. Though even as he tried to focus on the syllables, his mind was still trying to piece together one word in particular.

            Growing bold, he ignored her original claim on the items and took to grabbing at a number of blocks, running over the sounds in his head and attempting to piece together the word that had been nagging at him. Sam looked ready to scold him for it before he managed to assemble the word he was looking for.

            Sam.

            She started, absolutely dumbfounded at the sight. Just as she’d been about to berate him stealing the blocks from her, he had slammed down the three cubes that spelled out her name.

            “Oh my god...” she breathed, almost unable to believe what had just occurred.

            “You alright there Sam?” Nate inquired, hauling over a bucket full of fish.

            “He just spelled out my name.”

            The scientist followed her faze down to the singled out blocks, setting down the bucket to get a closer look, “Astounding…”

            Danny just blinked, not understanding their tone of voice. He vaguely wondered if he’d done something wrong and picked up another block wondering if he’d misspelled it. When their demeanor did not change, he decided it was best to preoccupy himself with the presence of food.

 


	8. The Game

Chapter 8

 

The Game

 

 

            It was a troubling thought that left the phantom mer swashing about the waters of his tank. Throughout the weeks since he’d started learning to spell, he’d begun attempting to sound off the words he’d learned. However, he found himself all but unable to pronounce them. Mouthing the syllables as humans did was easy enough, but it seemed as though he was missing some key thing that would unlock the elusive sounds.

            Finding that he was unsuccessful by the usual methods, he resulted to trying his own. Most of these attempts resulted in bizarre contortions that left his handlers concerned for his wellbeing. Whenever he felt he was close to replicating a sound, he’d repeat it over and over, usually causing such a racket to where the center was forced to close on days when they could not hide the noise.

            Because of these days, Nate found it was probably wiser to find other methods of communication, as the commotion was beginning to raise questions among the visitors, and among the new science classes; mainly as the screeches and squawks brought a tortured animal to mind. Thus with a reluctant sigh, he turned this information over to his niece on the task of finding a new method for themselves, as well as their unusual friend.

 

_________________________________

 

            “So tell me again why it is that you’ve been looking up sign language?” Tucker pondered whilst stuffing another handful of jerky into his mouth, much to Sam’s disgust.

            Since they first introduction, the techno geek had made himself quite at home now that his girlfriend wasn’t concerned about inviting him over anymore. Aside from his eating habits, Sam didn’t have much to complain about, and the male’s fondness for video games brought with it a childish stress reliever.

            The only one to really complain was Danny, whom whenever he caught the teen’s scent on her clothes would become increasingly agitated and attempt to sniff out the competition with no success. Thankfully it wasn’t something she would have to worry about as the two of them were practically in two different worlds.

            Giving a sigh and a shake of her head, she continued to search for content on the matter at hand, “A friend of mine is mute, so I wanted to lend a hand.”

            “I didn’t know you had a friend like that.”

            “They don’t go to the university,” her tone had been far sharper than she had meant it to be, as Tucker quickly raised his hands in submission. At least he wasn’t going to nag her about it. Her roommate on the other hand, was another matter.

            “So, what’s his name?” Valery mused as she flopped down upon her bed next to her boyfriend. The teen had gone back to stuffing his face full of the dried meat.

            “I never said it was a guy,” Sam defended.

            “You didn’t have to. I could see it in your eyes,” she fluttered her eyes for emphasis, only earning a scowl in return.

            “It’s not like that…”

            “Oh! I bet he works at the Aquarium! That’s why you’re always there! When do I get to meet him?” Val gasped, bouncing excitedly, causing her mattress to groan from the abuse.

            However, instead of the usual sigh and relent, the goth proceeded to slam her laptop shut and leave the room without another word.

            “I think you over did it...”

            “Ya think?!”

 

___________________________

 

            “So tell me again why we followed her to the aquarium?” Tucker frowned, his eyes wandering their surroundings with a nervous gaze. It wasn’t that he feared the creatures within the many tanks surrounding them, but rather the sheer devastation the water could bring to his precious electronics. He probably should have forgone that last horror film as the thought of the glass shattering made him shudder.

            “Quit whining already. I figured I should apologize to her…”

            “I think it’s just cause you want to see who this guy is.”

            Val just rolled her eyes at the reprimand and pressed on.

            The two meandered down the major halls with no success in finding their quarry. Eventually they were left standing before the doors to the employee’s only sector. A heavy tug upon the handle identified it as locked much to their frustration, and the primary point of access being the scan lock on the nearby wall.

            “Tucker, think you can hack this one?”

            “Technically that’s illegal…”

            “And has that ever stopped you before?”

            “…Fine,” He hissed, trying to keep his voice down as he eyed their surroundings warily before pulling out his pda to begin remotely hacking the lock. Yet just as he punched into the security’s mainframe, the handheld beeped unpleasantly causing them both to jump in fright.

            “What was that?”

            “Someone is hacking my system through the mainframe!” Tuck grimaced, attempting to fight back, only to find that he was all but locked out from the controls, “Damn they’re good…”

            “Can’t you do something?” Valery grit her teeth, growing more and more wary of the surrounding hall. While there wasn’t anyone in the current vicinity, that didn’t mean someone could possible stumble across them.

            What answered her was another resounding beep from the pda before the screen opened up a private chat window and began typing out a message that made their skin crawl.

            _‘There’s no need for that…’_

            The two teens held a hushed breath while the screen continued to display another entry.

            _‘You simply could have asked…’_

            And with that, the padlock flashed green, the door unlocking with a satisfied click. The pda then gave one last beep before returning itself to the proper user controls, leaving the last message in bold upon the screen.

            _‘I will be watching…’_

           “This is honestly creepy,” Tucker grimaced as he viewed over the final message before turning his attention back towards the door. Yup, definitely shouldn’t have watched that last movie; now he had all sorts of creepy crawly feelings along his spine. But, this was no movie; this was very much real; and it left the question as to what was really going on, “You still want to go through with this?”

            “I swear if this is her way of getting back at us then I’m gonna be mad,” Val grit her teeth, swearing that the camera on the wall had just shifted in their direction. It left a growing sense of unease, but that wasn’t about to stop her from reaching her goal, if it was even here.

            Pushing through the doors and pressing their way down the halls, they found that the back way was mostly bare, as if everyone was running about elsewhere. Yet with the number of halls and rooms, it was a wonder as to why they hadn’t gotten lost and run into anyone. It seemed that answer was in the hands of their mystery hacker, for as they moved along, only certain doors would open, the light flickering green. It eventually led them along a complex maze of rooms and halls, until the next available door opened up into a narrow stairway.

            “I wonder where they’re leading us…?” The young tech eyed the camera nervously before making his way up the stairs. They were too far in to turn back now.

            The figure at their desk smirked whilst watching the screens. Fingers interlaced as their gaze followed the teens to their destination. Now was the moment… the decision maker that drove them from here… Would it fall through? Or would it succeed..? They let themselves lean back within their chair.

            _“It’s your move, my friend…”_

            The stairs wound themselves up the narrow stretch, before it opened up into a large enclosed patio. 

            “I think we’re above the main exhibit,” Valery let her gaze wander in curiosity. So far they hadn’t been led into anyone, thus she felt it was safe to give it a look. Yet, one thing was very odd…

            “Didn’t they say this place was under construction?”

            The place showed no signs of it, if anything it was very much complete, from the paint on the walls, to the sound of the water moving about the tank. It left the question as to why it hadn’t been opened, or why a hacker had led them in.

            Eventually her eyes landed on the initial reason for their intrusion, finding Sam sitting by the water’s edge, “Hey, there she..”

            She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as she found her boyfriend’s hands silencing her.

            “Shh.. look.” He whispered, gesturing towards the reason for his caution.

            Out of the water it rose; with ebony scales and shining white sails, a creature of myth and legend coiled itself upon the concrete next to their gothic friend; it left them gawking at the sight.

            “What the actual fuck?!”

 

____________________________

 

            Sam smiled softly down at the waters below, watching as her mermian friend swam about her feet, “You know, sometimes even though you can’t really understand me; I still feel like you do better than most.”

            Danny cooed along comfortingly, sensing her distress. The soft sounds brought up a soft smile to her lips and she patted the ground beside her. The mer complied with her request and pulled himself up out of the water to sit with her, whining softly as she spoke to him, her hand eventually coming up to pet his head, to which he nuzzled affectionately. So far she hadn’t denied the attention he asked for and thus he willingly sought its comfort.

            A startled gasp drew him out of his attention seeking phase as pupils narrowed into slits, searching for the source of the disturbance. He caught sight of it by the entrance and made his warning loud and clear with a guttural, reptilian like hiss.

            The response was not missed by his human companion as she inquired upon his sudden change in behavior before turning towards the source of his distress.

            “What or how did you get in here?!” she stared; almost flabbergasted before her face grew with a seriousness the two were didn’t believe was possible, “What. Are. You. Doing. Here.”

            The words ground out; a threat hanging on each syllable. It was only further emphasized by the knife Sam flicked out of her pocket; the blade flashing dangerously.

            “Whoa! Whoa! Calm Down! We just came to apologize for earlier!” Valery raised her hands defensively, now eying the weapon more than anything; likely deciding on the best way to remove it from the goth’s hands.

            “Honest! We don’t want trouble!” Tucker added on, wary of the brandished weapon, but finding his eyes wavering over towards the snapping, snarling jaws of the black scaled beast. While he had a vague idea of what the creature was, the whole concept seemed so skewed and unreal that he couldn’t help the question that tumbled from his lips, “What… exactly is that thing..?”

            By this point Sam had already come to the conclusion that there was no means to reverse the situation, or un-see what had already been seen; the knife scare hadn’t been enough to run them off, thus it left her with the dilemma of sharing secrets or killing them off and she wasn’t willing to spill that sort of blood. It was more a matter of keeping them from spreading their discovery all across town. Pointing the knife she frowned deeply, mulling over what to do at this point, there was no turning back, and she had to ensure this didn’t get out.

            “Before I tell you anything, nothing you see here, leaves here, got it?”

            The two of them nodded nervously, coming to similar conclusions that all the pieces had led them to this and that it wasn’t a secret easily shared; for the knife jab and the snarl of the monster gnashing its teeth warned of a short future if they didn’t comply.

            The heeded warning was enough, as Sam heaved a heavy sigh and finally pocketed the blade. In all honestly, she didn’t want to have to use it and was grateful that she didn’t have to. Her mermian friend however, still remained tense and willing to strike; an expected reaction to strangers. One of the many reasons it had all remained hidden for so long.

            “So, what is he?” Tucker gulped, eying the creature with a skittish gaze, whom returned the favor with a less friendly one.

            Sam hunched down in attempts to console the mer’s ruffled scales. Her uncle was going to have an absolute fit once he found out about this, but there truly was no real way out of this.

            “His name is Danny. My uncle ended up finding him along the reefs south of here,” she continued to sooth the now named beast to no real avail; the two teens watching in wary fascination.

            “I didn’t think mermaids even existed. That’s what he is, right?” Valery peered at the beast with a growing curiosity. Now that the situation had simmered down, it felt safer to express such interest.

            “Well, he’s certainly no maid…” Sam attempted a grin of humor, only to be shot down by the creature’s mock lunge, earning a yelp from the teens, “Danny! No!”

            She brought herself around in from of him. Even though Tucker and Valery were away from the water and thus out of harm’s way, she couldn’t risk him actually harming someone. It would have similar consequences to if she had attacked them, and only bring with it further harm.

            “No,” She repeated, her voice stern, adding emphasis to its meaning. The mer in turn, snarled, flashing his fangs in defiance until Sam brought herself into his face, almost overbearingly and repeated herself. The word eventually sunk in along with the domineering posture and he relented, ears lowering, but his stare holding. Though he’d come to comprehend the scolding word for what it was, and thus obeyed it, did not mean he was willing to back down on something so unfamiliar until his own judgment was certain of it.

            The uneasy tension held for several minutes before Sam heaved a sigh, knowing she would have to produce more substantial evidence to trust them before this argument could be won.

            “Did I offend him or something?” Valery huffed, crossing her arms in attempts to quell her obvious shaking, to which her boyfriend just rolled his eyes. She was always trying to appear braver than she sometimes was.

            “No, you didn’t. He just doesn’t know you yet,” An idea sparking in the goth’s head had her gaze spinning over towards the fridges that stored the tank’s food. It was a long shot, but hopefully a step in the right direction. Food had been the first step for the center towards gaining Danny’s trust. Perhaps it could lead them in the right direction for getting him to open up to new people.

            Her gaze wandered over towards her aquatic friend. The mer was still bristling visibly, but for the most part was keeping his complaints to himself. However, she could see the familiar look in his eyes; how his pupils focused in on their alleged target. It was a look he gave right before he struck, something her uncle had become acquainted with over the few short months. Bless the man’s soul that he knew how to handle himself in those kinds of situations; but the same could not be certain of her two friends. This was something that would have to be a slow and easy process.

            “Tucker, can you go over to that fridge there? You should find some fish already prepared in a pail,” She gestured towards the fridge, keeping a hand in front of the calculating mer in case the movement spooked him.

            For the most part, Danny ignored her, focusing in on the male intruder as he made his way over towards what the mer had come to associate as a food source. Bristling all the while as the teen returned with the ‘stolen’ goods.

            “Ok, now crouch down over there, slowly, and toss one of the fish over,” Sam pointed over to a spot about six or seven feet off. It was close, close enough to unnerve her aquatic friend, but just far enough out of reach from an initial strike, keeping the young man safe.

            Doing as asked, Tucker tossed the fish over, remaining a few paces further back out of caution. Valery held wary of this as well. Though unfamiliar with the animal herself, she knew the look in the mer’s eyes; an aggressive, calculating stare. One wrong move and it would strike. Sam seemed to know this too, as she tensed the moment the fish was tossed, realizing that something was off.

            The fish landed just before the mer’s claws, but the creature made no move to acknowledge the offering. He still bristled, half showing his teeth, still glowering over at the strangers much like he had the scientists upon his original arrival. He didn’t know these people, or what harm they could cause, what things they would jab at him, or take away what was his…

            It was a split second motion, from the mer’s lunge, to Sam’s defense. In the next second, the creature found himself flat on his back, a startled yelp his and the strangers’ response. His first reaction was to snarl and attempt to defend his exposed underbelly, but he found himself pinned and staring up into the fierce lavender gaze of his human female, the sheer intensity of those eyes halted his original defense as he lowered his ears in true submission. This wasn’t a simple scolding. It was a full on display of dominance Sam was holding over him; that there was no argument to her decision; that he was to obey it. A soft whine was his acknowledgement and she relented, letting the poor beast up; his form instantly rolling over into a defensive position, backing away like a beaten dog. Apparently it was an acceptable response as Sam found it safe to turn her eyes away from him.

            “You alright?” she turned her gaze towards Tucker.

            He nodded, still too lost for breath for words, able to comprehend her words, though his focus remained on the now sulking animal like a deer in the headlights. Valery on the other hand had taken on a defensive position, glowering at the offending creature. The mer just flashed his teeth in response before shrinking back at Sam’s scolding look.

            In the end Sam could only sigh and shake her head. This was going nowhere. So far all that had had been accomplished was upsetting her friends on both sides of the spectrum, “Maybe we should get something to drink…”

 

____________________________________

 

 

            To say that he was frustrated was an understatement. For most of the afternoon, Nate had spent his time running over the system with the security team.

            Over the past few days, the center had been fighting a number of small scale breaches, including a number of camera and computer overrides, and file copies. Yet no real material had been stolen, no banking information, no true research information. It left the question as to what this hacker(s) wanted, and why?

            That afternoon had been the oddest one, and the most disturbing out of all the cyber-attacks thus far; a full system override, locking staff in and out of corridors, while unlocking an entire pathway that had led to the very center of their operation. It had left the security team running about like chickens with their heads cut off.

            With the alarm bells ringing in his head, Nate had bolted his way towards the main exhibit, fearing for the worst, only to have his way barred and he was forced to try an alternate route. In the end, the only corridors he was able to get through had led him around and into the security room. And there he stood, tapping his fingers along the desk, a frown creasing his brow as he stared down at the screen. By the time he’d gotten there, whoever had been in the system had backed out, allowing them to regain control.

            From the screens, he could see that their secreted mer was still safe within the confines of the main exhibit, mind the bucket of fish the creature’s head was in, chowing away. It was a temporary sigh of relief, seeing as the only other one that Danny would accept food from was Sam. But the oddity of it was that she never left the bucket on its own. She was always hands on when it came to feeding him, finding that it helped socialize and overall lead to a friendly disposition. For the most part it had been a successful endeavor, but it left the question as to where she was and why. It just seemed too out of routine for her.

            His eyes scanned to the other camera displays, eventually finding her down in the café plaza with a couple of friends. As out of habit as it was for her reclusive nature, it was good to see her socializing with other people. Though, Danny would likely be vying for attention as a result. Nate mused, knowing he probably should stop by to check up on the mer in a short while.

            For now, he should probably contact Vlad about upgrading to a better security system…

 


	9. Oyster Shells

 

Chapter 9

 

Oyster Shells

 

            Webbed hands prodded along the rocky slopes and bends within the artificial reef; green eyes scanning around, searching the crevices and cracks with growing agitation. For most of the night, the jet black mer has spent scrounging the expanse of his tank with no success in finding anything of real use. Despite the similarity the tank had to the wild reef, it still lacked all the unique treasures and animals he’d hoped for. Aside from spooking a few crabs, he’d found no shells, no knickknacks buried in the sand, or small, shiny trinkets in which to forge a gift for his chosen maiden.

            It was a frustrating endeavor. Ever since the two strangers had shown p, he’d found himself growing defensive. Even though he’d picked up on the behavior that the two were mated, he still feared that the male would steal his possible love away. Thus he needed to prove himself a worthy partner to the one his heart went out to; and to do that, he needed to have a means to impress her.

            He’d seen the ritual done before, along the reefs of his old home. After coming to the realization that the intruder in his territory wasn’t there to hunt, and finding the behavior peculiar, he grew curious and would watch from afar; watching as they collected any number of oddities to put together treasured gifts to woe potential partners. He, himself, had never been close to any female to go on such a quest, yet here he was, trying to find anything to complete the gesture, with a possible mate that held a higher rejection rate than any other. It was almost ironic.

            Vibrations in the water distracted him from his thoughts, the source coming from the surface told of a visitor, and from the familiar twiddle it made he was able to register that it was the young scientist he’d come to tolerate. Heaving an exasperated sigh, Danny turned and made his way up to see what the man wanted of him this time.

            Nate sat hunched along the pool’s edge, wiggling his fingers in the water; a signal the mer had come to know by now. A smile grew upon his face as the mer responded and finally breached the surface; the creature making a few agitated circles as a sign of its impatience. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight and Danny just let a short growl hang in his throat in response. His aquatic friend had never really come to like him, but tolerated him all the same. It was still a better experience than it was before, especially now that the beast didn’t charge him.

            “Hey there bud. I know it’s early, but you seemed like you could use something to preoccupy yourself,” The biologist smiled, knowing that the mer didn’t understand him entirely; but the tone of his voice was enough to read as a friendly one.

            As expected, Danny quirked one of his ears and pulled himself up, out of the water, eyeing the man with an inquisitive gaze. It was an amusing sight, and Nate couldn’t help the grin that crossed his lips.

            “Oh, you’re going to enjoy this surprise.”

            The mer looked on with a mix of suspicion and curiosity as the man turned to pull a cooler over alongside them. Upon opening it, the crisp salty smell of shellfish wafted up, tingling the creature’s nose while it eyed the chest with a growing intensity. Danny pawed at the ground anxiously, earning a look of amusement from the scientist.

            “Now, now. Be patient,” He chuckled, pulling out a handful of mixed shellfish; a mix of clams and mussels being laid out upon the tile.

            The different variety of colors, shades, and smells tantalized the jet black mer with the thought of their various flavors. He was quick to snatch one up, sniffing at it and proceeding to turn it over in his hands, figuring out the best method to get at the tender morsel hidden inside.

            Nate just looked on content with watching the mer mull over the next plan of action before turning to knaw on it. It seemed he was right about the treat giving his aquatic friend something to preoccupy himself with. Over the past week he’d been watching Danny’s growing restlessness and decided to give him something to think on besides the confines of the tank.

            When he’d gone out to find something to entertain the mer, he was surprised to have found his partner out by the docks, watching the fishermen set up shop for the day. It was an honestly curious circumstance, seeing as the businessman wasn’t terribly fond of the smell of the fish market. When he’d asked, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the man had been searching for something similar.

            “So what brings you down this way my good friend?”

            “Figures I’d run into you here… And here I was hoping to surprised you,” Vlad hummed, running his eyes down a display of fish recently put out, “I’d seen that our young friend was in need of an outlet, so I thought I’d lend a hand.”

            “That’s awfully kind out you,” it was more a question than thanks, as Nate had known the man long enough to know he did not act without reason.

            “I was also looking for a decent treat to implement the medicine you requested, seeing as you’ve brought in enough income to support it,” the billionaire huffed, scoffing at some of the catch; obviously it didn’t reach his standards.

            “Oh, so it worked?”

            “I never said it wouldn’t. Simply that it was expensive…” Vlad rolled his eyes at the scientist whilst completing a transaction for a batch of oysters and handing them over to him, “These should provide some entertainment. Now if you don’t mind, I have an appointment to keep.”

            Nate simply sighed in amusement, taking the offered bag of shellfish and watching as his partner proceeded to wipe his hands clean with a kerchief as if he’d handled something filthy. Sometimes he wondered why the man was involved in the business of animal rehabilitation and research, seeing as he tended to want nothing to do with the animals themselves.

            Shaking his head, he let the matter slide as Vlad turned to give him one last message about finding the medicine in his office later that morning. And with a final wave, Nate continued on with his shopping before returning to the center with the bag of fishy treats.

            As told, the medicine had been found on his desk with a given list of instructions. Overall it was simple to prepare and administer; mixing the two vials together, then taking a set amount and injecting it into whatever was to be eaten. Simple enough, though judging from the smell, it was probably easier to disguise with mussels than oysters. Thus, grabbing a few, he began to prep the shellfish for feeding; mixing the doses and slipping the needle in between the shells. It was going to require multiple smaller doses, seeing as the mussels were smaller in size than their overly large relatives and the mer seemed to prefer shellfish over actual fish. His assumptions were correct as he watched the mer knaw away at one of the said mussels.

            Danny continued to turn the mussel over in his hands, occasionally taking a chomp at it to test the shell’s weak points. It still held strong, keeping itself glued within its protective housing. But that fact was far from discouraging, in fact it meant that it was still fresh and healthy.

            Licking over his chops, he gave it one last turn, angling the seam just right as he brought his fangs down upon it, digging them into the crack. It would have seemed a risky maneuver, one that would have broken most teeth, if not for the mer’s experience and crushing strength of his jaws. The shell easily snapped open, the morsel falling victim to the hungry mer.

            The scene was taken as a wary reminder to the biologist to avoid those jaws if possible. And that he was grateful that he’d managed to avoid them in the attacks thus far. It was best not to encourage another one…

            Nate offered another mussel to the hungry creature, watching as the mer sniffed about in search of more. It was best to administer the medicine now while its mind was too focused on food to be picky.

            Danny ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, half lost in thought. The taste was off, almost a little on the sweet side. But then again, shellfish was a sweet meat, and he’d never tasted this sort before; thus he figured the unique taste was a result of the different meat. The smell however, was a different matter, as it held an almost addicting tingle in his nose.

            At the sight of another, he was quick to take up the offer and begin chowing down. He’d gone through five or six of the sweet morsels before his eyes landed on a more valuable prize. He dropped the current mussel in his grasp as he stared on at the clutch of oysters within the cooler. But upon approaching the chest, he found his way blocked by the older male. On instinct his sail raised, his chest puffing up as a hiss hung in his throat. He was not going to take no for an answer.

            ‘Crap,’ was the first though through the scientist’s head as he realized he’d been issued a challenge. Normally the mer respected the boundary on what was his or what was theirs. But this time was different for some reason. Perhaps it was the love of shellfish that brought out a more possessive response? Either way, his aquatic friend looked about ready to strike.

            “Easy…” He raised a defensive hand, whilst attempting to distract him with the dropped mussel. He only needed him to take this last one in order for the medicine to be fully administered.

            However, Danny ignored the gesture, flashing his fangs in a warning that he wasn’t having any of it. The only thing he wanted in that moment was those oysters, and he wasn’t afraid to tear the man a new one if he dared get in his way.

            Nate wavered in his decision, knowing it wasn’t the best time to be having a dominance fight with the mer; this was supposed to be all treats and hopefully medicating. There was also the fact that he was at a severe disadvantage, having gotten comfortable and taken a seat rather than being on his toes in case of something like this. It didn’t help that the raised hand was registering as a threat display rather than a defensive one, and the dangerous flicker in the mer’s eyes warned that it was growing impatient.

            Slowly bringing his hand down, he slid it around as slow as possible, reaching for the oyster bag; sudden moves would only encourage a strike. Touching the bag had been a mistake, for the moment his fingertips brushed it, the mer would have none of it. The creature lunged, sinking its teeth into the offending hand and thrashing violently.

            Nate jerked back, struggling to free his hand from the jaws of the beast. At this rate he’d be lucky if he managed to keep his hand and it felt as if his shoulder was about to dislodge from its socket. Gritting his teeth he brought a knee around the jab the creature’s ribs. The mer flinched, giving a loud hiss in response, but showing no signs of relenting as it twisted, pulling the two of them into a roll across the concrete.

            He could feel the wind knocked out of him as he was all but tossed into the cooler in the skirmish; shellfish scattering across the enclosure. He kicked and writhed, trying to pull free, feeling the tear of the mer’s teeth in his palm.

            Grimacing, he knew the next course of action would be more damaging and hoped that Danny would forgive him for it later. Grasping the nearest object at hand, he swung it round, smashing it against the beast’s head. The mer yowled in pain, finally releasing its hold and giving the now injured biologist time to scoot back and out of range, cradling his tattered hand near his chest.

            To say it had come as a surprise was an understatement; but then again, Danny had never known of an opponent that would use force with something other than his own claws. So when the oyster shell flashed in his vision, it had been quite the surprise to find that the object he sought was now the object of his pain and it left him cursing royally.

            Jaw clenched and hand holding over his bleeding, throbbing skull, he turned to snarl over at his offender, finding that the man had retreated a few paces away. Now that he wasn’t in the middle of the fit directly, he could see the damage done first hand. The scent of blood hung in the air as well as littered all across the tile, and he could taste the iron in his mouth. He could see how it flowed from the raw and tattered flesh of the man’s hand. The gravity of the situation began to weigh down on him, seeing the instinctively frightened and pained look in the man’s eyes. He’d seen that look before, a long time ago…

            An undeniable scream erupted from his lips, as he held his head in his hands, form coiling in like a snake. Hands trembling as his vision blurred, seeing things that weren’t there and the overwhelming scent of blood that followed it.

            Nate hissed, holding his injured hand close whilst he tore his sleeve with his teeth, tying the rags around the wound in hopes to stay the bleeding. He cursed under his breath before turning his gaze warily over towards the jet black mer, finding the peculiar sight of the beast writhing about upon the concrete and he feared that he may have struck too hard. But not long after the fit had begun, it had stopped, the mer having grown weary as it stumbled to pick itself back up.

            The look in the mer’s eyes hadn’t been an expected one, as instead of the instinct driven anger, a look of absolute anguish held within tearful eyes. The soft whine sounding almost like a cry as it looked on at him, ears lowing as if it knew it had breached some sort of boundary it shouldn’t of.

            Danny flinched back at the calculating and confused look of the now injured man. He was a relative of the one he wished to call his mate, and now he’d likely severed any chance he had. He sulked back, heading towards the quiet, safe confines of the water, only pausing briefly at the sight of what had started the fight in the first place. Even if his chances her now null, he couldn’t help but give a guilty glance towards the scientist before scrounging an armful of the shellfish and disappearing over the side.

 

________________________________________

 

            The sight Sam walked into had been an unpleasant one; the scent of decaying shellfish scattered across the floor stung at her nose while the sheer amount of blood sprayed upon the concrete burned its vision into the back of her mind. A scour of the scene led her to her uncle pressed up against the wall, cradling his wounded limb.

            “Nate!” she wasted no time pushing through the mess to reach him, testing for a pulse before he groaned, trying to swat her hand a way, but there was no force in the action. He was clammy and fading in and out of consciousness. She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the emergency number, hoping that they would arrive soon. There was too much of a mess across the patio to be certain whose blood was whose and just how much of it was spilt, but judging from the trauma peeking out from under the mock bandages, the older Manson had taken the harder blow.

            “Sam…?” He groaned, bringing his uninjured hand up to hold his aching head, in the heat of the moment he’d not realized just how hard he’d been tossed and his whole body ached as a result. Blinking he took a moment to bring his vision back into focus, glancing up at her before his gaze fell upon his poorly bandaged hand; the t-shirt already soaked red. He couldn’t help but grimace at the throbbing sensation that spiked its way up his arm, “Damn, he got me good…”

            “What happened?” Sam moved to help him shift into a more comfortable position against the wall, all the while attempting to avoid bumping any visible injuries.

            “Fella decided to pick a fight with me over a couple oysters,” Nate hissed; muscles aching at the action before letting him rest, head pressing against the wall, “He’s got one hell of a bite, I’ll give him that..”

            “Looks like more than a simple bite went down,” Sam huffed, glancing over towards the scene, noting how the red streaked across the concrete and to the water’s edge. The cooler was toppled over, the ice having since melted into a large puddle across the floor, intermixing with the blood and leaving it a sickly shade of pink; definitely more than just a bite.

            It still didn’t make any sense. In the few months the mer had been part of the aquarium, he’d never shown such food aggression. Possessiveness, yes; but he was quick to understand what was his and what was theirs unless otherwise said so.

            She wasn’t able to think on it for long as the doors opened bringing with it a wave of paramedics and staff members as they moved to help cart the injured scientist to safety. Sam gave one last look towards the pool; the water not giving a stir; the mer probably having gone into hiding after the skirmish. She’d have to check up on him later, but for the time being, her uncle needed her most.

 

____________________________________

 

            Danny curled himself into a tighter ball within the confines of the tank, attempting to hide himself in the shadows of an overhanging ledge. His hands held over his ears as he remained coiled, trying to block out the sounds pounding in his head. The screams ringing in his ears with a newfound agony he hadn’t faced in years. It felt like an eel was twisting within his insides. It left him feeling sick.

            The oysters lay cast aside in the sand, taking in giant gasps of water now that they’d been returned to its cool, salty safety. Occasionally he could glance over and stare guiltily at them until the images flashed across his mind forcing him to turn away.

            Since when had the man tried to withhold things from him when they’d obviously been pulled out with the intention of sharing them? For as long as he’d known the scientist, the man had never teased him like that, maybe had him perform something else before he’d get what he wanted, but he never intentionally kept it away from him. Had he let his desperation to obtain them cloud his judgment and then jump to the offensive without thinking?

            But it was his fault for threatening him like that… Or was it? A number of times he’d seen the humans gesture with their hands, it was how they talked since they bore no fins or sails… Perhaps he had misread it, after all, the man was human, not mer, and they’d never really seen eye to eye.  

            The dark mer’s ears lowered solemnly, had he been in the wrong…? He tried to run over the events that led up to the fight, from the offering of the mussels, to him noticing the oysters in the box… The mussel… The last thing the male had offered him was the last one of those sweet meats. He’d dropped it upon seeing the oysters and having been so determined to get them he’d ignored the task given that could of gotten them without argument. It was that last little morsel, and all he had to do was eat it…

            For some off chance that he thought he could right the situation, Danny swam back up to the surface, eying his surroundings carefully and noting that all of the human presence had left the place, leaving it in eerie silence. Pulling himself up upon the patio he’d intended to seek out the forgotten mussel, in hopes that completing the task would undo some of the wrong, but found himself frozen at the sight that greeted him.

            Usually with most fights he was used to, the battles concluded themselves under water, leaving behind a dispersing mist of red and the light taste of iron amidst the salt. But here, above water, the violence of the skirmish remained, stained upon the rocks like a haunting memory.

            He couldn’t handle it, backing away from the spatter and scattered shells before diving back into the safe serenity of the water. He couldn’t face it… couldn’t face himself for what he’d done… and dared not think of facing her….. To face the rejection and anger at having harmed a loved one… and felt the chances of holding her in his embrace fading like blood in the water.

            He hid himself away within the shadow of the ledge, unwilling to come out to the point of leaving the other animals curious. He tried to ignore them, turning away and burying his head into his arms, struggling to hold himself together, but it was just as hard as the first time he’d been brought here… stuck with the agonizing silence of his own thoughts and unable to run away…

 

___________________________________________

 

            For hours, everything felt so still; just the swashing of the wave machine churning the reef’s artificial tide, to the fish ridding along on the currents, meandering about in search of tidbits of food. Danny simply ignored them, too exhausted at this point to swat them away when they got too curious. He’d almost faded into sleep when the water wavered with the vibrations of another.

            The mer could feel his heart all but stop within his chest, knowing the sensation down to his bones. She had come back to witness his crime and judge him harshly for it. He knew his chance was done, and he couldn’t bring himself to go up and see her. Not after all of this.

            He was about to bury his head in his arms when the water shifted, splashing about and causing the fish to scatter. The mer jumped in surprise before coming to recognize the ripples in the water for what they were; she’d jumped in. He stared up in fearful regret as the figure of his beloved swam down to him.

            He couldn’t help but mouth the silent syllables of her name before she approached him. His ear’s lowered submissively as her lavender gaze bore down on him, but she made no attempt to scold or berate him. He watched fearfully as she brought a hand around, expecting it to swat him, but instead it came up to brush his head. Her eyes seemed to focus in on the wound well deserved, as a frown creased her brow before she grabbed his arm and led him up towards the surface. He wasn’t sure what punishment she had in store for him, but he let her lead the way to whatever he deserved.

            Breaching the surface, Sam gasped for breath, taking a moment to collect herself before leading the mer up onto the concrete. He’d been deeper down than she’d expected and judging from his behavior he’d been hiding like a dog that knew it had done wrong. She watched him attempt to pull away and hide back in the water.

            At seeing the sight again Danny whined, attempting to return to the water’s sanctuary to no avail. She wasn’t going to let him go, her hold upon him refusing to waver. Thus he was forced to stay, even if he refused to let his eyes linger, turning his head away. He didn’t want to look. But even that luxury was taken from him as she gripped his chin and guided his head towards the scene then back up to her.

            The whine in his throat grew as he was forced to look at the violence he’d rought; wishing he could just disappear. Even worse was the look of anger and pain that held within her eyes. It was almost too much for him. He knew he deserved to be snapped at, chased off and rejected like he had been so long ago. But it never came.

            Instead he was graced with her hands upping his head, stroking his head like a mother would a child. The anger still remained in her tone as she spoke soft words to him, but no violence came from it. If anything her voice was too soft for a scolding, and he wondered if he even wanted to understand those words.

            “You hurt him pretty bad you know…” Sam sighed, parting the mer’s hair away from the wound. The salt water had cleaned out most of the broken shell, but it was still raw and painful; her uncle had had to strike hard in order to break free, “Was it worth it?”

            She knew it was more like talking to herself, uncertain of just how much the reef dwelling beast understood. But let herself continue on; her own voice keeping herself calm as well as the animal before her; the mer’s eyes were searching hers, trying to decipher everything she said as if it held significance to his very existence.

            Finally parting the hair away from the wound she pulled her bag around and pulled out a few medical supplies she’d picked up on the way back. Even with scientist in the hospital, the man couldn’t hold a grudge against the creature, insisting that she return to tend its wounds.

            “You wouldn’t have done this if it was me, would you?” She let herself stare back into those deep green eyes, searching for an answer she would not receive. The mer seemed to know that he could not answer and looked away submissively.

            She sighed in defeat, giving his head a gentle stroke whilst steading her tweezers to remove the remaining debris and begin the process of cleaning the wound. She let herself get distracted at this point, unable to remain focused on such painful thoughts and letting the anatomy in front of her carry her mind elsewhere.

            Even with all the times she’d been so close to this animal, she’d never really had a chance to study him up close. She let her eyes wander to the hanging, tattered scales along the wound; scales that when intact were so fine that they appeared almost like skin. Her fascination getting the better of her as she plucked a broken scale from the torn tissue, only to earn a mental kick back into reality as the mer yelped and jerked away.

            “Sorry Danny, should’ve warned you…” She reached out and rubbed one of his ears to calm his protests. It worked for the most part and thus she was able to continue with actually cleaning the wound, this time the actions expected, mind the grumble and gripe.

            Danny just winced all the while, putting up with the unusual punishment. While it wasn’t as traumatic as he’d expected, it was still strange, intermingling between pain and comfort and leaving him confused as a result. But he dealt with it, reminding himself that he deserved this, and more so.

            He only spooked when Sam reached out and pulled something else from her bag. The foreign object startled him; jerking back on instinct until she restrained him again. A long whine held in his throat, his display of fear. Sam attempted her best to console the skittish animal, speaking in soft tones and attempting to show him that the tube of ointment she’d taken out wasn’t a threat.

            “You’re lucky Nate’s such a forgiving person you know…” She just shook her head, uncapping the ointment now that the mer had settled and wasn’t about to flee.

            Though, despite her words, the lingering thought still hung on, hoping that her uncle was as forgiving to people as he was with animals. She’d shown up as early as she had with the intention of apologizing and informing him of the two newcomers into their secret ‘circle’. While she hadn’t been able to tell him as of yet, the fact that she’d shown up when she did had likely saved the man’s life.

            She finished administering the medicine without much protest then turned to scour the mess. It seemed she was the only one left to clean it seeing as the other employees avoided the enclosure for this exact reason.

            “Stay,” She turned back and uttered the simple command.

            The mer knowingly lowered his ears and gave a sound of protest, to which she repeated the phrase to assure it was followed. She couldn’t have him diving back into the water again until the ointment had been given a little time to absorb. In the meantime it also gave her time to clean away the stains that scarred them.

            Danny fidgeted where he sat, the known word ringing in his ears telling him to remain where he was despite every fiber in his being screaming at him to hide away. Thus he watched in a mix of horror and guilt as she began to clean up the mess he’d made; picking up the shellfish and piling them into the up righted cooler.

            He wanted to tell her she didn’t have to. That it was his fault. That she didn’t need to waste her breath on him. But no words reached him and he was forced to watch until he couldn’t stand it anymore. This wasn’t her mess to clean. Ears lowered, he crawled forward into the nightmare. Images flashing across his mind of horrors past, but he refused to acknowledge them, pressing on and scooping up a cluster of shells, depositing them in the box as she had done.

            Sam had stopped briefly, watching as the mer mimicked her actions. It was almost amusing, if not for the haunted look upon his face. It held a feeling to it that left a shudder down her spine. Sometimes the emotions he displayed were unsettlingly human.

 

____________________

 

            They spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning up the mess. Sam had turned to mopping up the blood whilst leaving Danny to cleaning up the shellfish. They’d managed to clean up most of the mess with the exception of one mussel left out by the water’s edge, and the mer seemed reluctant to pick it up.

            There didn’t seem to be anything particularly special about it at first glance. The only thing she could see was that it was the last one of its type that had been left uneaten. When she picked it up for closer inspection, Danny had whined in complaint. Just what was it about this one that had him so uptight compared to the rest?

            The thought clicked in her mind as she connected the pieces; this was the last untouched mussel before the fight had broken out. Perhaps he felt some sort of regret or attachment to it. Sighing softly, she turned and set it down in front of him. The mer in turn coiled up, obviously uncomfortable with whatever it represented to him.

            Danny continued to squirm at the sight of it, feeling even more uncomfortable with it placed in front of him rather than where it had been, forgotten on the floor. His gaze tried to travel away from it, only to gravitate towards the lavender gaze still upon him. The whine hung in his throat again and he wished he had some way to beg for forgiveness rather that sustain the torture anymore.

            Sam watched the mer struggle under her examination, wishing she could simply understand. Maybe if she had been there she would have known what set him off, or have found some way to stop it…

            She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. There was nothing to be done about the past, only where to go now. She turned her focus back towards the mer, finding him with a look of concentration upon his face.

            The next thing she knew, he’d opened his mouth, letting out a raspy mix of sound to which he forced into his first spoken words.

            “Sssorrr…rriee….. Sssaa…Aaamm…”

 


	10. In The Hands Of Sinful Men

Chapter 10

 

In the Hands of Sinful Men

 

 

            It was a typical day at the office, the hustle and bustle of people in and out, the hum of machines and the tick tack of keyboards pounding away into a dull repetition; the smell of coffee hung heavy in the air, but it did little to ease the sense of weariness that clung to him.

            Vlad Masters rubbed his brow with an exasperated breath, staring down at the phone as it buzzed continuously. It was another small deal he had no interest in, just another idealist with grabby hands, wanting a taste of his fortune but to no avail. Its cries all but silenced with the simple tap of the reject button. He wasn’t in the mood to put up with them.

            Turning in his chair, he let his gaze wander out across the city, the view stretching out across downtown and cresting at the ocean’s edge. It was one of the finest views, and he’d paid a decent sum to obtain it. Yet it was less about the beauty of it and more about viewing his domain; all the other businesses within his quarry and those he wished to keep a watchful eye on. From where he sat, he could see the roof of the aquarium out by the water, the light reflecting off of the tile and glass roofing, hiding such deep secrets under such an innocent façade. As it was, most of his establishments where hosting some sort of underground deal. It was just one of the many ways he stayed ahead in the game; no one got rich and kept it by playing fair.

            The aquarium was one of his newer operations, having stumbled upon the place a few years back, still trying to get up onto its foundation. It was there that he’d met the ever enthusiastic Nathaniel Manson, though down trodden and at a lack of funds for his build, the man never gave up on his dreams and had been looking for an investment. It was with this that the billionaire had found opportunity.

            It had been quite simple really, playing into the man’s dreams, giving him a place to play researching whilst unknowingly giving Vlad the perfect place to set about his operation. While the scientist would find and treat injured specimens, the billionaire would offer up his ‘private cove’ for ‘rehabilitation’; as the center was still in the process of being built and had no true place to house the injured animals; and thus he smuggled them off to exotic buyers simply stating they’d been ‘released’ back into the wild. It continued like this for the past few years, until the center had reached its completion, and with it came the most current specimen of interest; the jet black mer. But he had no wish to sell this one, but rather obtain it for his own collection, and it was so close, within his grasp, and yet slipping between his fingers.

            It left a bitter taste in his mouth, leaving his coffee tasting sour. He grimaced, setting the cup frown upon his desk. Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t just his mood that left the unpleasant sensation upon his palate. The coffee was just bad in general. He was half tempted to yell at his secretary about the quality when she’d walked in, arms full of papers, but the sight of the mass of currently unwanted bills and work just made the place feel stuffy, and thus he took it as an excuse to head out and acquire some fresh air.

            While he was considered a man of expensive tastes, some things of refined quality didn’t require top dollar value. This included, but was not limited to a brisk walk down the street to a simple, homegrown coffee shop. While a majority of the monopoly of businesses would have wiped the little place off the map, he’d held a certain fondness for it, and with a little bit of endorsement, was able to keep it on its feet; as well as give him a center point within the downtown district. The fact that the coffee was surprisingly good had just been a bonus.

            A quick cup and he was off meandering down the streets, taking in the sights. Normally he drove through the mass that was downtown, but this time he wanted a moment to think, and the cool winter air brought with it a crisp sense of reality that left his mind buzzing. While it should have been thumbing over the ideas of planning out the holiday sales, his mind was off on a different tangent. That damned mer.

            Since the day he’d first come in contact with the mythical beast, he’d been all but overwhelmed by the possibilities that it wrought, and he’d wanted to test out the number of growing theories. However there were a number of hurtles to get over this time as far as obtaining what was his. Since the center’s completion he no longer held the excuse to more the creature to his own private residence, not to mention the scientist’s keen desire the shelter the beast from prying eyes, and the mer’s aggressive nature combatted his every move.

            The first real chance he’d gotten to view the creature had been the first time it had gotten sick. The creature didn’t take well to sudden changes and its mistrust in them had let to Nate calling him for help on finding a suitable vet. It had been all too easy to smuggle one of his best scientists in as a makeshift vet to run some tests and acquire some samples for further testing back at the lab. The biologist had simply taken the fake certificate as proof enough and with the promise of ‘hush money’ was quick to lead them back to where the beast laid.

            The physical examination had been a tantalizing tease at claiming the beast as his own. The feel of those sleek, but strong ebony scales; stripes flickering in and out of view in the light like a black panther’s hidden spots. The elongated ribcage encasing what appeared to be an enormous set of lungs, chest rising and falling in tired breaths, allowing for the breathing of air and not just of the water. It left a wonder at to just how close to the surface these creatures actually lived, and how they’d managed to remain invisible to the world. Yet, he wasn’t able to admire the mer for long, as his ‘partner’s’ niece become involved and the creature’s mean streak prevented any further examination thereafter. He’d had to wait for the results of the bloodwork for anything else.

            It had been a bit of a wait, but the results eventually came back. However they held a mix of fascination and concern. At first glance the samples appeared to have been contaminated with human dna, and thus they were forced to rerun the tests. The same inconclusive results came back a second and then a third time, his lab had cried out that the original was tainted and thus desired fresh samples for further testing. Vlad remained unmoved by this demand, as he’d played witness to their initial collection, and gathering more would be difficult enough with an angry mer. There was also the hunch that new tests would simply hold the same results time and time again no matter the sample. Thus taking it under his own personal scrutiny, it revealed exactly what he’d expected. The human dna wasn’t treated as foreign, but was all but bonded into the mer’s cells, and while faint, it was still there enough to be picked up on by the machines. It left him wondering just how close they were to humans; if they shared a common ancestor, or if it was simply a fluke altogether. Either way it appeared as if they were an aquatic species that had evolved alongside humans, and then vanished without a trace.

            In the meantime there were still further tests that would be needed in order to further examine their similarities and whilst he waited for those results to come back, he’d have to continue his observations from a distance. A couple of cameras from the aquarium’s security had given him a glimpse into the daily workings of the center and the behaviors of his coveted mer. But with two meddling teenagers and a bit of curiosity on his part it wound up in one large mess without much to show for his efforts. And while it wasn’t as eventful as he’d hoped, it had brought up a curious point of discovery.

            While the mer’s aggression towards the teens had been expected, it was the usual out lash towards strangers, but rather a protective nature over his ‘partner’s’ niece, Samantha. In truth the beast had been acting strangely around the goth since they’d first met, and it held a curiosity on if it was simply because she was of similar age, or if being female was less threatening. But as he continued to watch from the shadows, it became clear that it wasn’t something as simple as that; the creature had grown bolder and more affectionate as time continued and it left a lingering suspicion in the billionaire’s mind.

            He’d poured through the books, trying to find the tiniest tidbit of information on the matter, even pulling up old tales on lore in hopes of scraping up anything similar that could shed some light on this mythical beast that eluded him so. He’d eventually settled upon a rather old relic, half buried in dust and forgotten with age; the pages worn and the ink scrawled like water read the ramblings of some crazy old sailor of many years past. While a majority of it could be played up as tall tales, there was still much of it that could be related to what he’d seen, and some of the scenarios seemed just as probable. In the end it all led to the same conclusion he’d been dreading; the mer was courting her, and by the looks of it, Sm was none the wiser to the beast’s true intentions.

            It left a shudder down his spine at the thought; and yet despite everything that seemed so wrong, there was a sick fascination on whether or not such a courtship could produce. While such a thing had been seen among similar species with results, most had nothing come of it, and humans weren’t among the species to have hybrids. If anything it felt almost sinful, even in thought. Yet like so many things in his life, the possibility was tempting enough to get his hands dirty, if all for a prize more desirable than just the mer itself, but a hybrid child…

            Vlad paused in his thoughts as he found himself standing at the edge of the wharf. Apparently he’d wandered all the way through downtown and was now along the shoreline. A look to the left and he could see the aquarium down the block and it left the pleasant idea of confronting the mer. From what information he’d gathered from his observations, the beast was alone; Sam still in the middle of her classes, most likely preparing for midterms; and his ‘partner’ was off at the doctor’s office for physical therapy. In some ways he’d wished the man had just lost the damned hand to the thing, perhaps then he’d of been more willing to hand the mer over… Either way, with the two of them off on their own agendas, he was left with opportunity.

            Though if he wished to truly approach the beast, it was probably wise to find some sort of peace offering. As it was, the mer wouldn’t tolerate his presence, as if it could sense the undertone of his actions and would have nothing to do with a conman. Whatever he found would have to be decent to suffice. The mer wouldn’t just let him in, so he’d have to find an ulterior method. However, a browse of the wharf’s recent haul only left him with a scowl upon his face. While he enjoyed seafood at its finest, much of the pier was deemed filthy according to his standards, along with most of the fishermen hobbling around on their sea legs. The smells of old fish, blood, piss, and overall stink didn’t improve this thought and left him grimacing at most of the catch.

            It wasn’t until after a bit of searching that he found anything considerably suitable. Despite the fact that the mer didn’t care about the quality, the billionaire couldn’t find himself looking at anything less. He eventually settled on a decent sized slab of salmon; the color a deep and smooth orange, and it lacked the pungent odor of day old fish. He wondered if the creature had ever tasted salmon seeing as it was a cold water fish, let alone the center’s feed preferences, he couldn’t say for certain, but it still seemed like a good option to go with. A bit of bartering later and he was carting his ‘gift’ off on his way towards the aquarium.

            As he made his way up the stairs towards the grand entrance, he couldn’t help but caste and idle glance over towards the line of people waiting to purchase access to the view inside. Even in winter it was a bustling hive of activity, not that the Florida coast truly experienced winter’s icy breath. He simply bypassed the line, flashing his badge at the security whom let him through in due haste. Considering he all but owned the place, he had no intention interest in waiting in line, listening to the mind numbering chatter of the common folk.

            He spent no time looking about the exhibits, making a beeline for his intended target; into the back halls and into the blocked off exhibit where the jet black mer lay. Upon entering the enclosure he was greeted with a rather unusual sight.

            The jet black mer lay out upon the concrete by the water’s edge, seemingly staring out into space. A solemn expression adorned the usually snarling features as it gazed off across the enclosure, lost in thought. It had yet to take notice of him, and Vlad took the moment to admire the coveted sea beast from afar. It wasn’t often that the mer was any sense of calm; even around Samantha, the mer was fidgety and nervous, though likely for other reasons, but either way the billionaire was willing to enjoy the quiet.

            However, the gentle atmosphere didn’t last long, for the moment he stepped further into the room, with nothing but the simple clack of his shoes upon the stone, the mer had whirled on him. It was an expected reaction, and he simply scoffed at the feral hiss that greeted him; at this distance the mer was hardly a threat. He’d seen and read enough to judge the creature’s strike range and from the way it tensed, it was aware that he knew.

            “There is the saying that one shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds it,” he tutted, giving a cluck of his tongue in disapproval. He then turned to pull the fish out of the bag, keeping a watchful eye on the mer. The mer in turn did the same, swaying pensively as if weighing its options on whether to fight or flee. Vlad intended it to be neither; it was just a matter of playing his cards right and hoping what he’d learned wasn’t just the ramblings from a crazy man’s journal. Giving a quick glance at the mer, without making direct eye contact, he tossed a piece of the fish over.

            The mer started as the meat landed in front of him, giving a snarl of indignation towards the billionaire, but when the gaze wasn’t returned, it grew confused, staring over at him and then down towards the piece of fish lying at its claws. A few moments of silence passed with the creature’s indecision, still shifting its gaze over towards him then back to the offered food, sniffing it a few times, and then looking back at him warily.

            Each time the creature stared over at him, Vlad was quick to turn his gaze away, or appear preoccupied with dismantling the fillet into smaller portions. From what he’d managed to pull from the texts, keeping eye contact would be taken as a challenge and the mer would likely remain distrustful. Thus he continued to busy himself, only sneaking a glance in to assess the situation. He was eventually greeted with a satisfying result, the mer finally giving in to the smell of fresh fish, nibbling on it before deciding that it liked the taste and snarfing the rest down like a hungry dog.

            “Well now you know I’m not trying to poison you..,” he rolled his eyes while trying to stifle a chuckle at the mer’s actions. It had taken to sniffing about the concrete in search of more before looking up at him expectantly. The mer’s hunger had gotten the better of it, which was perfect for him, as it was more focused on the food than who was feeding it.

            Deciding to not let this opportunity go to waste, he tossed over another piece of the fillet letting him scoot a bit closer as the beast was preoccupied. He’d have to be careful at this point, as he’d now edged in past the mer’s strike range and if he pushed to quickly it would retaliate. He tossed another piece of fish. His luck seemed to be with him at the moment, as the mer had yet to notice his steady approach, more interested in scarfing up the tasty bits of meat.

            “What was it they called you again….. Daniel, wasn’t it?” Vlad hummed half to himself as he viewed the magnificent creature before him. He could see the curvature of its muscles; how they shifted with each little movement, slender and lanky, and yet unbelievably strong. There was an intimidating amount of power hidden beneath the surface, and as much as he longed to claim it as his own, he still pondered over the sinful premonition of what was to come. Did he wish to seek it out, for the possibility that it could bring? One of his hands fingered within his coat pocket; he could feel the small pearls dart around his fingertips as he fumbled. Since the day he’d put all the signs together, he’d been tempted to see what would come of it. From the old writings, it told of the males putting together gifts to woe their potential mates. The oysters he’d handed Nate had simply been to test the theory, and from his observations, he could discern that this was an actual fact; the mer still coddled the remaining shellfish in the depths of the tank, probably hoping to get them to bear fruit. The question remained on whether or not he should let it; the entire thing was practically blasphemy on the scientific community and humanity as a whole. But at the same time, he still had the sense of sick curiosity, and the possibility of obtaining more than just the mer. If it didn’t play out, he doubted the biologist would want the creature near his niece afterwards, which put more in his favor. Either way, it wasn’t like he had anything to lose.

            A quipped grumble from the mer was enough to pull him out of his thoughts with a yelp, finding its angry, green eyes on him. During his time pondering over the possibilities it had taken notice of his approach and was once again barring his teeth at him. The billionaire grimaced, reaching back to pull out another piece of the remaining fish in hopes of directing the attention away from him; however what he found was an empty bag, and a still angry mer.

            “Oh bollocks…..”

            At this rate the creature would lunge at him, and having seen the state of the redheaded scientist, he wasn’t exactly ready to have a similar fate befall him. Just as it readied to snap at him, he whipped one of the pearls from his pocket and daringly shoved it in the mer’s face.

            The mer reeled back, not having expecting something to be lunged into its vision and not keen on a repeat experience, faltered in its initial attack. Stumbling, it righted itself and turned to snarl at the man, only to find itself staring at what he had thrust at it and froze upon the realization of what it was.

            A pearl.

 

______________________

 

            Danny heaved a sigh from where he lay upon the stone, staring off at nothing in particular whilst his mind rolled about his thoughts. The past week had been relatively quiet, the redheaded scientist hadn’t shown up since he’d mistakenly challenged him, and Sam had been gone almost as much only coming in to feed him and then leave thereafter. He never thought he’d miss the social interaction, let alone with humans. For as long as he could remember he’d been alone, and had used to prefer it that way. Now on the other hand, he had other things on his mind and the longing within him tugged heavily on his insides. He wished Sam was here; he wanted to nuzzle her and let himself be engulfed by her sweet scent; he wanted to…

            His gaze wandered along the waters, watching the small waves lap up against the rocks. His mistake had cost him more than he’d thought, and he feared he’d lost his chance at not being alone anymore. He could still see the look within her eyes when he’d struggled to apologize to her, unable to decipher it. He wasn’t sure; he couldn’t even tell if he’d scraped together the correct words. All she returned was a muffled reply he couldn’t understand, a soft ruffle of his hair and then she was gone.

            The times she’d come back he’d called out to her, to which she would smile weakly and place out his rations for the day. There were no hellos or goodbyes, just the rushed feeling that hung in the air around her as she left. It only aided to his anxiety.

            Today had been another one of those long, dreary days. Despite the warmth within the enclosure, he could feel the change in seasons and the cooler atmosphere still dug into his bones with a deep, biting instinct. Had he been with a shoal, they would of moved south down into the isles where the tropical waters remained as warm as ever. However, the ache he felt had less to do with winter, and more of what was to come. It left him twitchy and nervous with energy he couldn’t expel. Once the tides turned and the waters warmed up again, a frenzy of excitement would take hold of them and with it the fights and dance for romance. But as it was, his beloved was avoiding him, and he still had no gift to bear.

            The sound of the door opening broke the mer from his thoughts; an ear flicking back at the familiar sound. It was still rather early for a feeding; even if his stomach complained; but he garnered it up to one of the ‘workers’ that cleaned up the place and chose to ignore it. He’d seen the red headed man talking to them before, and sometimes they’d offered assistance if only to get a look at the jet black mer. Danny had learned it was best to simply ignore them, as for the most part they left him alone and for that he returned the favor.

            However the unfamiliar clack upon the stone drew his full attention. This wasn’t the sound of familiar feet, and the smell that accompanied the stranger’s approach set his instincts afire with danger. Whirling round, the mer gave out a warning hiss, his eyes settling on the threat only to narrow into a threatening glare of recognition. He couldn’t forget the sneering face of the gray haired man, how delighted he’d been at the sight of his subdued form upon the deck of that white boat. While the biologist had also been there, the man didn’t hold the shifty look within his eyes that this one did. It was a dangerous expression.

            Danny bared his fangs at the man’s approach, warning him further that he wasn’t afraid to defend himself. It wasn’t heeded; and the billionaire continued to press forward, much to the mer’s distress. He tensed, form coiling like a spring, ready to strike; he didn’t want this man anywhere near him, and if he pushed his luck he’d happily show him the consequences. Yet right was he was prepared to lash out, the man halted just inches beyond his reach, the look in those gray eyes taunting him, knowing that even with all the mer’s posturing that he was out of danger.

            As Vlad made to crouch, the mer recoiled, eyeing him warily, debating on whether or not this was one opponent that was better to retreat from than challenge. There was something strange about the man’s behavior that left Danny unsettled, despite how much he’d come to know from observing humans, what he was witnessing now wasn’t human in any shape or form; it was mermian; the way the man avoided challenging him with his eyes like most humans did, to how he held himself. There was just something unnatural in seeing a human act this way.

            The jet black mer had all but turned away to retreat back into the safety of the water when something flickered in his vision. An unimpressive squawk escaped him as whatever it was landed at his feet, causing his form to tumble backwards to avoid it. What graced him when he’d turn to snarl defiantly at the billionaire, was a piece of fish, and for a moment he wasn’t exactly sure how to react. It wasn’t exactly something he expected from this untrustworthy character, but he was unable to gage what motives the man was hiding from him, as once again Vlad wasn’t looking at him. It left an uncomfortable feeling within his gut that didn’t want to settle, but then again it could have just been his stomach. The smell of the meat in front of him held a tantalizing scent, and he couldn’t help himself from taking in a long drawn out breath; curse his hunger.

            Yet as he fought his instincts to feed, he couldn’t help but feel as if there were eyes on him, glowering over at the gray haired man just as he avoided his gaze. He continued to stare over at the man for a long moment before growing distracted by the smell at his feet. While he’d gotten used to the fact that food came from many hands, he was still picky on whom he trusted to receive it from. This man wasn’t among those he trusted, but he found his stomach betraying him with a growl.

            He eventually yielded to his stomach’s complaints and initially nipped at it, testing for anything he could possibly find wrong. Instead he was greeted by a bold, fattening flavor that left his mouth watering and his senses tingling. Before he could blink he’d devoured every bit of it and found himself sniffing about in search of more. That little tidbit had only been enough to bring out his hunger in full force and at that moment, all he cared about was finding where the he could find more.

            He could hear the man laugh as he looked over at him, probably confident in thinking he’d tamed the mer. Not that it really mattered to him at the moment, the smell of food was all over the human, stranger or not, and he wanted it. His expectant whine was greeted with another piece of the tasty meat to which he accepted whole heartily.

            The businessman muttered something again, half sounding similar to the call Sam had given him, but he overall ignored what the man had to say taking more interest in the offered fish. It wasn’t like he could understand most of what humans said anyways, it was still mostly a garble of unfamiliar sounds.

            When another piece wasn’t offered, he gave a quick glance up towards the gray haired man expectantly, only finding a lost expression in his manipulative eyes. It seemed he was deep in thought about something, not that Danny cared to know, his instincts still driving him to feed. He eventually found the source of the tasty orange fish hidden away in the bag upon the floor and seeing as the man wasn’t about to offer it to him, decided to help himself.

            While it was indeed enjoyable, there was only so much of the delectable meat, and soon he had nothing left to distract his thoughts from realizing that the stranger was right in front of him. The man had taken advantage of his hunger and had breached the mer’s comfort zone, and now the creature was very much aware of it. A long, threatening bellow rumbled within his chest as he eyed the billionaire. He had two seconds to back away or feel teeth.

            It had been enough of a sound to jolt Vlad from his daydreaming and bring him back to the dilemma that he now had an angry mer on his hands. Danny just gnashed his teeth for emphasis, ready to strike if he didn’t move. And move the man did, in exactly the opposite of what he’d been expecting; the arm lashing out, the mer recoiling, expecting to be struck, only to have green eyes fall onto what had been thrust at him.

            An ocean stone.

            Eyes widened as they took in the sight before them. This was what he’d been looking for, what he’d been trying to obtain, the perfect treasure to present to his chosen mate. Even along the reefs they were all but impossible to find, clamped hidden within an oyster’s jaws and yet there was no guarantee that one or any in a clutch would yield. It was believed that any male who’d find one could likely woe any female he wished. For going through difficult process of obtaining one and giving it to their love, was considered as binding as offering one’s soul. If he could present Sam with such a gift, she would surely accept him.

            The figure holding it shifting backwards was enough to bring his mind back into focus, realizing that the stone was in the hands of this manipulative man. Ear-fins lowered as he gave out a growl of irritation; stealing food was one thing, but he wasn’t about to accept such a powerful gift from this man. He wished to obtain one by his own means, and refused to think about what binding affect it might have on him if he took it from his grasp.

            Having had enough of the man’s games, the mer snarled, swinging his massive tail around and smacking the stone out of the billionaire’s hands; it was enough to force the human stumbling across the tile, yelling profanities. It was more a retaliation towards the gift, rather than an attack, so Danny didn’t pay the man’s fuss much attention, just taking to snapping his teeth at him until he gave up and left him be.

 

___________________________

 

            Vlad gave a huff from the door, having had to scramble away from the sea beast before it had made an attempt to seriously injure him. So far he’d been successful in his escape, despite having lost the pearls he’d offered up. Perhaps he’d forgotten to read in between the lines on the gift giving and had offended the creature. Either way, with the mer now barring its fangs fully at him, there was no possibility of being able to continue with this experiment further.

            “Have it your way then,” he sighed before turning and making his way out the door. It was probably about that time to be heading back to his office anyways, no doubt his employees were probably slacking off in his absence and his secretary was likely freaking out. A look at his phone seemed to prove his point at the barrage of texts that now littered his inbox; the woman was just too frantic for her own good.

            At least he’d managed to obtain his objective in the end. Daniel most likely thought he’d succeeded it running him off, and while there was the truth that he’d probably offended the mer with the pearl’s initial presentation, it had been meant more as a distraction to not only keep himself from being bitten, but plant a few within the waters behind the beast without its knowing. Now it was just a matter of time in seeing if any of this bore fruit…

 


	11. Are You Really There?

Chapter 11

 

Are You Really There?

 

 

 

            Sam heaved a sigh as she pulled her luggage off the carousel, turning to leave the airport like all the others returning home from the holidays. It had been a long few weeks, from having to scramble together college midterms, to putting up with her parents fussing when she came to visit for the season. Overall it had been a stressful ordeal and she was just grateful to have finally caught a breather, deciding to skip down and head home a few days early. It would be a much needed break from everything until classes started up again.

            The air was still brisk when she stepped out onto the curb, flagging down a taxi to chauffeur her the rest of the way back to her dorm. She watched the scenery lazily as it passed by, half lost in her thoughts. She hadn’t been able to spend much time at the aquarium since the incident, and with everything that followed, she hadn’t the time to do much more than stop by to feed Danny, and with the holidays, she hadn’t even been able to accomplish that. The poor mer was probably downtrodden with the lack of activity, let alone that she had been unable to console the creature since the fight.

            Her phone buzzing pulled her attention from the window, browsing through the new texts on screen. It was another update from her uncle on the mer’s condition and so far it wasn’t looking so good. Danny was refusing to eat again and it appeared that during her absence the poor beast had slipped into a state of depression. She couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for it.

            She could still hear those broken words echoing in her mind; the scared expression across his blood streaked features. Those were the first words he’d spoken, and they’d been in pleading askance for forgiveness she hadn’t reciprocated from a mix of shock and loss of time. It still wasn’t an excuse, whether or not life had kicked her feet out from under her with everything coming up at once. She hadn’t taken the time, and now she was left picking up the pieces. She could only hope that her aquatic friend would forgive her in turn.

            From what her uncle had explained, since he’d picked up feeding the mer again it had been a rather strained interaction. Danny remained skittish and apprehensive whenever he’d walked into the enclosure and would all but cower at the sight of his injured hand. Even though it was healing fine and the damage wasn’t completely permanent, it seemed there were more than just physical scars to heal on the mer’s part. Sam could only hope that she could set things right and get the mer to feel safe around them once again.

            The cab eventually stopped and she paid the driver his dues before getting out and heading for her room. Closing the door behind her, she let out a tired breath she didn’t know she’d been holding while taking in the sight of the silent tranquility that was her space. From the looks of things her roommate had yet to return, and she was fine with that, she’d come back early in order to get away from her clingy parents and have a moment to breathe before she was forced to dive back down into the tangle mess of stress.

            Setting her things aside to unpack later, she flopped down upon the bed, taking in the scent of her pillow in the hopes of getting some well needed rest. Perhaps after a good nap she’d go check up on Danny; the mer was becoming almost as needy as her parents, but at least he was fine with her being who she was rather than trying to doll her up as something she wasn’t. A sigh escaped her as she snuggled into her sheets, deciding to put those thoughts away for another time, letting her mind drift away into dreamland.

 

__________________________

 

            Nate frowned as he watched the waters lap against the stone, no sign of its inhabitant coming up from the depths below to greet him. Since he’d entered the exhibit, the jet black mer had yet to surface and didn’t appear willing to do so anytime soon. It reminded him of how his relationship with the mythical creature had started, except that instead of being greeted with aggression, the mer had taken to avoiding him entirely.

            He knew that Danny was hiding from him, unable to come to terms with the fact that he’d bitten him. The few times he’d gone down into the exhibit hall below and peered through the glass, he’d managed to glimpse the mer sulking amidst the sea grass; at least until he noticed him and darted off into the privacy of the caves. It was going to be difficult to mend the rift between them.

            “Oh what am I going to do with you?..” He just shook his head, replacing the old pile of fish left ignored by the water’s edge with a fresh one. It was most likely going to spoil like the last one, but he had to keep trying. He wasn’t about to give up on his aquatic friend just because of a spat.

 

______________________

 

            The feeling of weightlessness; lulling in the sense of at ease it brought. Adrift was the best way to describe it, rocking back and forth with a gentle tide. But the sounds of waves did not meet with the sensation, rather the mulling echoes of voices calling out, diluted into ripples that brushed against the skin, and yet rung like music in the chest. A single call rose up above the others, its sound shrill and eerie, silencing all the other noise in its wake.

            A still silence. No sound or echo bouncing off tumbling surf, just a feeling of emptiness that hung with a sense of loneliness. Like a small shell tossed up and out into the open water, only to drift down to rest within the sand below. A broken remnant of what it used to be. It appeared so innocent where it lay forgotten. But reaching out to touch it flashed eyes of toxic green and jaws like a snake…

________________________

 

            Sam’s eyes snapped open with a hushed breath, hands held tightly to her chest. It took a moment to still her initial panic, taking in her surroundings and the realization that it had simply been a dream. But she couldn’t shake the unease that had settled into her stomach. She’d never been one to have surreal dreams, and most of her dreams didn’t leave her so shaken. Sure she was a lover of all things dark and spooky, but those sorts of things didn’t feel like something crawling beneath the skin. Perhaps it had simply unnerved her with the sheer oddity of it. There’d been too much stress in her life lately.

            Sitting up, she yawned, stretching and bringing her hands up to rub away sleep, only to find her fingers wrapped up in the old hemp bracelet she’d purchased from the aquarium months ago. It was a silly thing she’d picked up last summer during the center’s opening, and yet it had helped clue her into how the help the jet black mer back then. It still had the broken tip of the shell remaining, the edge shaped where the mer’s fangs had sliced through it like butter. Since that fateful day, she’d kept the trinket under her pillow as a reminder of how their friendship had started. It left a smile on her lips. Perhaps it would help them out of this rut they were in.

            A quick change of clothes and she was on her way to the aquarium. Meandering about the exhibits as she familiarized herself with the feel of the place after almost a month of absence, it felt nice to finally have some time to actually spend here. She eventually fulfilled her need for nostalgia, heading into the back rooms and down the halls in search of her uncle.

            She found the man mulling over a large stack of paperwork, a mix of bills and other things that had piled up since he’d been forced on sick leave from the incident. While he had complained that it wasn’t bad enough to quit working, had insisted that he take some time to let it heal properly, and with a great deal of persuasion he’d finally agreed and now he was sitting there with a load of catch up to do. Sam just chuckled at the sight before knocking on the doorframe, watching as the redheaded scientist spooked and then floundered to gather up the scattering papers.

            “Need some help?” she mused, picking up a few papers that had fallen to the floor and offering them over. This was not before she’d managed to catch of glimpse of what he’d been puzzling over, the logo G.I.W. printed in the upper left corner, “So what’s all this about?”

            He smiled sheepishly, taking the offered papers and setting them back upon the desk, still looking like a kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar, “I was actually just about to ask your input on it. As you know we’ve had Danny here at the center for six months, and as it is, we’re not entirely familiar with everything he needs or how he behaves, only what we’ve been successful with.”

            Sam nodded at this, allowing him to continue. It was true that they only knew the bare minimum about their aquatic companion, whether or not she liked to admit it.

            “This past month in particular has been difficult on all of us, and I feel that Danny’s probably taken it the hardest. But with our lack of experience and knowledge of the matter I’m not sure exactly how to help him”

            “Why not just set him free?” She scowled, not liking where any of this was going. It was known to both of them that the mer was slipping into depression, and as far as she was concerned being in captivity played a big part in that problem.

            “Sam…” He frowned, knowing that was one argument he wasn’t willing to get into. She eventually yielded with a huff, crossing her arms and looking like an irritable teenager, “What I was getting to was that I’ve been doing a bit of research into the matter and ended up coming into contact with a small organization known as the ‘Guys in the Water’. It seems that they’ve been studying a small colony off the coast of New Zealand for several years now and with that sort of experience they could help us help Danny.”

            “Are you sure they’ll actually help?” Sam quirked a brow, slightly interested. She’d suspected that they weren’t the first ones to have encountered the fabled beasts, but with now news on the matter she wasn’t certain. To hear of a group who actually had been in contact with them and kept it all hidden from prying eyes left the wonder on if they could actually be trusted with the secret of their own mer, or if they would hide things from them as well.

            Nate had picked up on her uncertainty, leaning back into his chair with a sigh. It was a difficult matter to think over, but some of the pros outweighed the cons. It was more a matter on if everything said and done was true, and if their resident mer would put up with them. Lately he’d become a bit more open with people being around, ignoring most of the other staff with a state of at ease rather than screeching at every passerby.

            “The most I can say for certain is that they’ll be of great help if he winds up sick again. Having a vet that actually knows how to treat his species would be more beneficial than trying to pay off a vet that might not know how to help… And despite Vlad’s best intentions, I honestly don’t trust is choice in vets.”

            Sam sighed, seeing as she didn’t have any opposing argument other than her distrust of the unknown. She didn’t know these people or what they were capable of, only that they seemed to have experience in the field and knew how to keep it under wraps, “Seeing as you’ve already made up your mind on the matter, when should we expect a visit?”

            “Hmm, a few weeks, give or take setting up the arrangements,” He shrugged, turning to sort through a few more papers while his niece had taken to wandering about the office.

            She’d perused the shelves briefly before looking back at him, “Considering that you’re thinking about a vet… Just how bad is he?”

            Raising his gaze up from his work, the marine scientist took in the look of concern upon her features. It contrasted heavily with the lighting in the space, making her look older, worn, and he couldn’t help but feel a similar weight in his own chest. He knew that she wouldn’t like the answer, and his expression was enough to convey that message.

            “That bad…?”

            He nodded, heaving a sigh as he set down his work, “He’s not been eating for the past two weeks, and given what he usually intakes, there’s no doubt that he’s lost a decent amount of weight. I’ve been trying to get him to eat, but he’s not let me anywhere nears him, and I fear he’s severely depressed.”

            “Why didn’t you call me?! I could have helped!” Her yelling was enough to get her uncle cowering behind his computer monitor. While he loved his niece’s compassion, she could be scary when she was angry.

            “I didn’t want you to worry,” his excuse only led to her pursing her lips with a growl before she relented, flopping onto the couch across the room.

            Sam just continued to scowl as she let her gaze wander about the room, trying to let her irritation settle. Slipping her hands into her pockets, her fingers wrapped around the small bracelet she’d held onto, it let her mind drift through the memories of what had led up to this point, and with it came a solemn understanding.

            “I think he’s afraid he’ll hurt you again…”

            Nate blinked at her words, at first uncertain as to what she meant, until she’d turned to look over at him. She was discussing the incident again. How it seemed to be the catalyst for all this negative behavior and damage to the mer’s wellbeing. The question was how to put it all together and overcome what had happened.

            Seeing the man’s inquiring gaze, Sam sighed, pulling out the old trinket to fiddle with it before she continued to speak.

            “Danny apologized to me that day…,” she turned the bracelet over in her hands, examining the broken shell for what it was, “I’d honestly never expected those to be his first words...”

            “He spoke?” Nate couldn’t help but stare over at her in shock. It shouldn’t have been possible. While the mer had shown signs of considerable intelligence and potential to understand their language, yet he’d given no indication of being able to speak it. The lack of proper vocal cords didn’t help.

            A long look from his niece was enough to shake him from his scientific ramble. As curious as the potential of him understanding speech was, it could wait till later when the weight of the situation didn’t lie so heavily on those words.

            Sam just forced a smile at his antics, sometimes there was just no stopping the man’s inquisitive mind. Shaking her head, she let her own thoughts go back over the memory. She could still see those bright green eyes staring up at her, begging her to forgive what he had done. There was so much fear and regret that hung within that gaze. Sometimes it was scary how quickly they could forget he wasn’t human; but with such an understanding of the world around him, one simply couldn’t call the mer an animal.

            “It was broken, but they were definitely words…” She frowned, wrapping her arms around her knees, “I can still see his face… I’ve never seen him look so scared, and I didn’t know how to react…”

            The scientist sat back in the moment of silence, biting the tip of his thumb in deep thought. While much of this information was startlingly human, there was still the matter of what it all meant and led to, “So in other words, there’s the possibility that he believes we haven’t forgiven him and has ben punishing himself as a result?”

            It was a rather farfetched idea, but so far there wasn’t much to go by besides the gut instinct of his niece. So far that instinct had been right, and with no other options to turn to besides calling in the vet, he nodded his agreement.

            “Only one way to find out,” He picked himself up from his chair; Sam doing the same as she followed him out towards the main exhibit.

            Aside from the sound of the door closing behind them and the gentle slosh of the wave turbine, it was dead silent; no familiar cries from the jet black mer vying for her attention. The pile of fresh fish had been left ignored by the water’s edge, untouched from where it was placed earlier that afternoon. It was a depressing sight, leaving them feeling almost alienated by the lack of activity in the enclosure.

            It seemed that the mer was not going to appear of his own accord and would take a bit of coaxing to get him out of his hiding place. A frown creased her lips as she let the reality of this all sink in; she’d have to drag him out like she had last time. She just hoped that it would be less upsetting.

            Pulling off her shirt and pants, she shoved them into her uncle’s arms.

            “Hold these,” She ordered before jumping in, leaving her uncle sputtering in a mix of embarrassment and protest.

___________________________

 

            Danny lay coiled up within the confines of one of the caves, his hands had been clasped firmly around one of the oyster shells from his clutch. In a moment of despair, he’d torn the once closely guarded shellfish apart, and had been left with the broken pieces to stare at for the long, lonely hours. As expected, they’d not produced any yield; but in that moment he hadn’t care, having settled into the fact that he was destined for an eternity of loneliness, trapped within the confines of this place.

            He’d not seen the goth in over two weeks, and had all but given up, believing she had moved onto other waters, like all the others, leaving him to wallow in his own self-pity that would eventually boil into frustrated and aggressive anger. But he couldn’t let himself fall that far. It was the aggression that got into this mess and every other mess he’d been in. It was why his shoal had chased him away, and it was why his beloved had now left him.

            The sudden flurry of the surface tension was enough to break the mer from his stupor. His form jolting and having forgotten the broken piece of shell clasped within his hands yelped as it tore at the webbing between his fingers. He grimaced, taking a quick glance at the damage before tossing the broken bits away. It would heal in its own time; right now he had bigger problems to worry about.

            The violent ripples in the water panged against his lateral line, warning of a large and inbound entity. The sensation wracked his body with fear as his brooding thoughts were suddenly replaced with panic. He didn’t know what to expect. Had they finally had enough of him and come to run him off for good? Not that he had any place to run to considering he was boxed in on all sides, and if he could not flee, then he would certainly perish. What he hadn’t expected to see was the face of his beloved peering on at him, and expression of concern rather than anger upon her face.

            After a bit of scouring, Sam had finally found the mer tucked into a nook in one of the caves. A frightened, nervous look held upon his features, as if he feared he would be beaten, and the sight of his skinnier form did not sit well with her. He’d truly been punishing himself all this time. It was time to put a stop to it.

            Taking a wary approach, uncertain of how much his behavior had shifted over the last two weeks, she brought herself to crouch along the mouth of the cave, reaching a hand out in attempts to console the skittish mer. But instead of him warming up to her touch, Danny flinched back a whine in his throat. It seemed it would take more than just a bit of encouragement to get him to come out, but time was not in her favor and she was forced to go up for air.

            When she breached the surface she was greeted by the sound of her uncle yelling after her. For a man who dealt with so much of the wild world, he was certainly a worry wart.

            “I’m fine! He’s just being stubborn!” She huffed, taking in another gulp of air before diving back down completely ignoring the man’s protests.

            Danny simply watched her return to the surface. Feeling it was probably the last time he’d see her. But he couldn’t help the pang of hope pulling at his heartstrings at seeing her again. He’d grown so desperate for her, to feel her touch, to know she was there for him to the point that he feared she was simply a trick in his mind, like so many other things that pulled him into a state of madness. He longed for the contact she brought him, but also wondered that, if this was deemed to be but a delusion, would reaching out to it cause him to snap.

            He wasn’t able to think on it for long as she was soon returning back down into the depths and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her, claws tapping along the threshold to the open water. He was still unsure if this was all just within his mind, most of his hallucinations never came back to him. Watching her for a long moment, he gekkered nervously; this felt more and more real with each passing moment.

            Within the next, she was in front of him again, her hand held out in front of him. The broken bits of string and shell could be seen between her fingers, eyes widening with realization as to what it was. It had been the bracelet around her wrist the first time he’d met her without glass in between them. He remembered how he’d mistaken the shell as food, rather than a decoration. It almost seemed funny now.

            A jostle of the trinket deemed she wanted the mer to take it, and it was in that moment that he understood. This was very much real; she was indeed floating in front of him, offering a gift to forgive her absence. A reminder that while she may have been angry with him, she had not left him. He still had a chance to make it up to her, to prove to her that he was worthy of her affections; although he’d have to find another gift. A glance back at the mess of tattered shells left a grimace on his face before he turned back to her.

            Sam winced, knowing she was running out of time. She could feel her breath slipping away with each second that ticked by, and the mer’s indecisiveness was making it feel far longer than it should. But she couldn’t up and leave for the surface just yet, something in her gut warned that this was her last chance to try and set things right, that if she didn’t go through with this now, he’d never accept her or her uncle again. Yet she could feel her muscles straining as they screamed for oxygen and she grimaced before realizing she had to make the decision and head up.

            The mer shifted suddenly when she’d made to leave again, a webbed hand reaching up to grab her. She started at the sudden grasp, writhing desperately to break free; she had to get to the surface. It did her no good, as the mer, having grown curious with some sort of revelation, pulled her close, an inquisitive expression upon his features. Normally she would have shared similar interest for his sudden change in demeanor, but at that moment she couldn’t breathe, and everything felt like it was threatening to close in around her.

            _‘Air! I need Air!’_

            She thrashed, giving one last effort to try and get out of his iron grip, but her movements were growing sluggish, a dark haze starting to set in along with the pain of her lungs demanding oxygen. She could feel herself sinking.

            To say that Danny had panicked was an understatement. For the moment she had turned to leave, everything in him feared for the worst and he’d finally relented into reaching out for her. Pulling her close he’d whined, trying to get her to understand, but he was only met with thrashing limbs desperate to be rid of him. It wasn’t until he say the wave of bubbles leave her and how she started to go limp within his grasp that he realized the reason for her desperation. She couldn’t breathe!

            He didn’t know what to do, everything just froze in that moment; staring down at her form as her violet eyes glazed over, everything beginning to drift into nothingness. He had to find a means to save her, and he had to act on it now. Remembering his own air reserves that kept him afloat, the mer tilted her head up, hoping that this would work, and clamped his jaws around her’s, forcing the air from his own lungs into her own.

            After a minute of circulating her breath, he could see her features tense, beginning to come to life with the needed oxygen and he mentally heaved a sigh of relief at knowing he’d succeeded. But now he was left with the fact that he was so close to her, his lips pressed up against hers. While he’d heard stories and seen humans performing the gesture, he’d never really understood what it meant, only that it was apparently some form of affection they showed to their respective mates. Considering he’d all but chosen her as his own, it was strangely appropriate, and he could understand now why humans were so fond of it. The soft sensation of her lips left a tingling sensation along his spine, and he couldn’t help but give into the guilty pleasure of attempting to mimic the action with its true intention.

            The next thing Sam knew, her chest was practically bursting with air and she found herself planted into a kiss with the aquatic beast. A startled squeak almost cost her second breath as she stared into those half lidded eyes before they snapped open, staring at her in panic before he pulled away, coiling back against the cave wall.

            She could only stare over at him with a look of confusion and uncertainty, a hand reaching up to brush over her lips. They still buzzed with the unfamiliar sensation, like they’d brushed against scales. There was the possibility that they had, seeing as she’d found the mer inches from her face. A questioning glance shot the mers way left him warbling some sort of apology, looking like a beaten dog before deciding better of it and popping and air bubble off his lips. She watched the small stream of gas drift upwards to break the surface, understanding dawning. He’d saved her from drowning; but the method in which he’d gone about it left her cheeks red wondering why he couldn’t have simply taken her to the surface.

            The surface; he hadn’t surfaced in over two weeks. Was he afraid to? She didn’t know, but with this limited renewal of breath, she at least knew she would have to head back up, and hopefully pull him out of his hidey hole at the same time.

            Swimming back over to him, she ignored the fearful whines, bringing a hand out to gently brush over a scaled cheek. He flinched under the initial touch, but she pressed on, continuing to caress the frightened mer, scratching a bit behind the ears. Danny eventually relented into her touch, nuzzling up against her arms as if he’d never see her again; it was a sad sight, but at the same time it bought a soft smile to her lips, knowing that he wasn’t lost forever.

            She continued to pet him, slowly distancing herself from the cave with each motion, the mer obediently following, too wrapped up in the need to feel her touch to care. By the time he’d noticed where they were, they had breached the surface of the waters and were sitting in the shallow end of the pool. At this realization the mer whined trying to make his way back into the depths only to be pulled into the goth’s arms.

            The mer squirmed within her grip, giving a yowl; water swashing about violently from the beast’s floundering tail. There was no doubt that had he been at full strength he would have simply pulled them both into the depths, but at that moment he could feel his strength waning, left to flailing and crying out like a little guppy. Sam simply frowned at his actions, knowing that even without his health the mer would continue this protest until exhaustion hit. Danny could squirm all he wanted, but she wasn’t going to let him revert back into the depressed stupor she’d found him in.

            She watched him continue to struggle weakly in her grasp, desperate to hide, and yet not strong enough to do so. It was a depressing sight, and she wished it wasn’t so. Braving whatever consequences would come after, she held him close, resting her chin atop his head in hopes that he’d calm at the act of comfort.

            The mer stilled almost instantly in her arms; his body tense, and for a moment she feared she’d made the wrong move. That was until she caught sight of those large green eyes looking up at her with an almost unreadable expression, until he all but broke down in her arms, sobs wracking his emaciated form as he clung desperately to her. Sam could only sigh, petting his head in attempts to soothe him. She continued to console the mer until exhaustion took him, leaving him sleeping fitfully within her arms.

            Nate stared on at the sight before him almost unable to believe what he was seeing. With the time his niece had spent under the water he had begun to panic and was just about to dive in after her when the two of them had breached the surface. Now he was left standing before the dozing mer as Sam held the beast within her lap, gently rubbing one of his ears.

            He sighed softly, shaking his head as he knelt down beside them, taking in the state of the mer’s condition. While it wasn’t as dreadful as the first time when he’d called Vlad in desperation to find help for the beast, it was clear something would have to be done. Danny had lost more weight than was healthy, and judging by his fitful state, this was more than just something a little food could fix.

            Giving a knowing look towards his niece, he was surprised she’d been giving him the same expression. Despite her distrust for strangers near the mer, this situation called for help they couldn’t give. At least he’d gotten to explain it earlier.

            “I’ll go call the vet.”

 


	12. Jet Black

Chapter 12

 

Jet Black

 

            It had been three days since they’d received the call about the sickly mer that two agents finally set foot on Florida soil. While they had already received initial contact through email about the creature from Dr. Manson, they hadn’t been prepared for the sudden phone call asking for help and thus it had taken a bit of time for them to scramble together everything they would need for the trip as well as treatment for the beast’s sickness. Not that they minded meeting the creature a few weeks ahead of schedule.

            From what had been discussed over the phone, it was clear that the mer was in bad shape, emaciated from refusing to eat and under a great deal of stress, most likely from its stay in captivity. They’d struggled with similar behavior with some of their specimens within their first few weeks in the facility, but apparently this wasn’t the first time for this particular mer. It was also a surprise to find that the creature had been living within the aquatics center for over six months, to which most of their animals mellowed out within the first three. It left a wonder as to just what they would find behind those glass doors.

            “Hey, K. This is one piece of work ain’t it?” The man whistled, pulling his sunglasses up into his shag of blond hair, letting his eyes take in the sight of the structure before them.

            “Well, what did you expect, O.? It was advertised as such,” The second agent huffed, shifting his pack around a bit before taking in the sight as well. It was truly an impressive aquarium, there was no doubt about that, especially after having looked into its background and found the build funded by none other than the billionaire, Vlad Masters. Though considering what they knew of him, it was an honest surprise, seeing as the man had no real interest in marine life. But they could ponder his motives later, they still had their objective hidden inside.

            “I wonder what kind of beast we’ll be dealing with,” O pondered, pocketing his hands with a look of amusement on his face. Even if they were here to treat a sick mer, it was still a mer, and he couldn’t help the feeling of excitement that bubbled just beneath the surface. K apparently didn’t share his enthusiasm, though it was less to do with what they were about to face and more to do with the current circumstance; shifting the heavy pack over to his other shoulder.

            “Well, we won’t know until we see for ourselves…” the agent frowned at his companion, giving a huff.

            He was just greeted with a grin before the other started his way excitedly up the steps.

            “Hey! Wait! Don’t leave me to drag all this stuff up there! I’m not your pack mule!” K hollered after him.

 

____________________________

 

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Dr. Manson.”

            “Indeed, I’m glad you could make it on such short notice.”

            The three scientists shook hands before turning down the hall towards the exhibit. The chatter mostly consisting of their visit, travel, and the overall condition of the secreted mer. From what had been disclosed over the phone, this particular specimen was quick to anger and held a wary disposition towards strangers. It was going to make for a difficult study.

            Upon entering the exhibit below, they were greeted with the impressive view of the underwater tunnel, a shame that it had yet to be seen by the public eye, and at the same time, it was quite a fitting tank for the resident mer. But as their eyes scoured the waters in search of the elusive creature, they found no trace, only scars upon the rocks where claws had bled.

            “So where is our little friend?” O frowned, eyes scanning the glass. If not for the files he had read over, he would have claimed this as a hoax. It was those specific details that no one without prior experience would know that kept him searching.

            “Oh, he’s in the upper enclosure with my niece,” Nate just hummed nonchalantly, as if it was a normal thing to do; leaving an ‘inexperienced’ relative around an eight and a half foot mer. The two scientists shuddered at the thought.

            “You sure it was a good idea to leave a sick and temperamental animal with her?” K swallowed the mix of bile in the back of his throat. The inexperience in handling the creature would surely leave one of them dead, the injuries on the young biologist’s hand was enough to say they’d already had a close call. Even thinking about what could happen next left him feeling sick.

            “She’s fine, trust me. If there’s anyone who could calm ‘the beast’ it’s her,” the redheaded scientist fiddled with the keypad granting them access to the upper enclosure, unable to help the bemused smile upon his face. It was ironic really, how the goth one upped the animal handler. There was no escaping that truth; Sam could hold her own against the mer, and if push came to shove, she was possibly the only means of stopping an attack.

            The two agents only frowned at his words, not convinced, but pressed on; the three of them heading up the stairs and out onto the walled in patio. They were still wary of what was to unfold, despite their initial curiosity and fear of what to expect. What greeted them as they rounded the bend was enough to touch on both.

            The man’s niece sat by the ledge, her feet dipped into the salty waters below. To her left lay the infamous mer, head resting in her lap whilst she wove her fingers through snow white hair. It was an astonishing sight; the bond between ‘man’ and beast, but that alone had not been what left them frozen in their tracks. While at first glance it was clear the beast was sick, from labored breaths to an emaciated form, but it was not what held their attention the most. It was none other than the sheer ebony black of the creature’s scales. It left a shiver down their spines.

            “You never mentioned that he was a dark mer…” K frowned over at the redheaded scientist whilst O looked on with concern.

            “Dark mer?” Nate queried, not sure of what to make of their sudden uncertainty, “Is there something significant about his coloring?”

            “Indeed. From what we’ve uncovered over the years, most mers are quite brilliantly colored. The males in particular are brighter than their female counterparts. The fact that your mer’s scaling is nearly pitch black, indicates that while he may be initially ill, he’s likely been sickly since he was born,” O frowned, crossing his arms, fingers tapping against the skin, “It’s practically a warning label. With dull shades sick mers can’t attract a mate, avoiding the chance of spreading the disease. However, the darker their coloring, the more aggressive they become…”

            “We had a dark mer born into our shoal a few years ago. The results weren’t pretty to say the least… The matriarch attempted to kill the offspring a number of times before we eventually separated them. The pup still ended up going ‘rabid’, if you could call it anything else,” K interjected, setting down the bags; his gaze remaining focused on the jet black mer.

            The creature had stirred upon their entry; eyes of toxic green glaring over at them until distracted by the goth’s hand’s blocking its vision. The mer still remained wary of their presence, a low, rumbling hiss within its chest. The two agents couldn’t help but notice how it curled protectively around the girl.

            Sam was quick to shush the agitated beast at every growl or hiss he made. She didn’t expect him to understand what they were doing, only to trust her enough to understand that she wasn’t going to let them hurt him. He seemed to get what she was trying to convey, as he quieted, resting his head upon his hands. It gave her enough confidence to leave his side for the moment, praying he wouldn’t duck back into the water for safety. Thankfully, Danny made no attempts to flee, only whining in complaint, before turning back to glowering at the strangers with knowing distrust. She could only sigh and shake her head at this protective nature.

            “You must be the Guys in Water. We’re grateful you could make it,” Sam smiled, attempting to keep her casual front. Though despite the attempted demeanor, they could see the distrust within her eyes, as if daring them to try harm the sea beast in her presence. K gave this a respectful nod, noting that her posture was mimicked by the mer behind her, clawing at the concrete where it lay. O however, either overlooked the subtle message, or simple cared not to pay it any heed, as he was up and shaking the goth’s hand with his usual enthusiasm.

            “Indeed. Your uncle said the same, and might I say that it is honestly a pleasure to be here. I’m Oliver, by the way, Oliver Swenson, and this grouch is my partner, Kyle Ross,” O grinned, shifting from the ecstatic handshake to jostling his coworker whom attempted to shove him off. Sam could only sweat drop at the back and forth the two scientists had. It seemed they’d been partners for some time.

            “Just call me K…” K just frowned over at his partner before turning back to rummaging through their supplies. They were here to study and treat a sick mer, not flirt with the host’s niece.

            Nate didn’t seem bothered by their antics, rather just giving a nod of acknowledgement before wandering over to try and coax the mer with a bit of food. Said mer took no interest in the offered treats, taking none too tolerant of his presence, and preferring to ignore him, taking more interest in keeping a watchful eye on them. It was expected really, seeing as the mer was distressed, and distressed animals would not eat. It was just a matter of preventing that distress from turning into all out aggression.

            They could still recall the young dark mer they had had. When it was first born, there had been consideration that it was possibly a new breed, until they became aware of the shoal’s avoidance of the young guppy, and the matriarchs open rejection. It had been called to question when they first separated the youth from his shoal, attempting to find out if it was some sickness they could treat, and possibly cure. However they were unsuccessful, as it wasn’t long after that the aggression swelled like rabies, and the once curious and friendly mer turned so vicious that they were forced to put it down… They could only hope that they would not have a repeat with this older, jet black mer; judging from the fresh scars upon their host’s hands, they’d already had a close shave…

            K shook his head from the thought, turning his attention back to fiddling with their supplies; finding the necessary vial, and prepping a syringe for the next step in their mission. He’d paused in his decision between using the dart gun or the needle when he felt a pair of scrutinizing eyes on him. He didn’t even have to turn around to know that his critic was the young Samantha Manson, and sighed in preparation for the barrage of questions.

            “What is that?”

            “A sedative. Your mer-”

            “Danny…”

            “…Danny, is distressed with us being here. We don’t need him harming himself or others during the exam,” K’s frown deepened as the mer growled, shifting uneasily in the corner of his vision, its eyes fixated on the syringe held within his hand.

            It left a feeling of concern amongst both parties. This was going to be a difficult venture, right from the starting mat. Even Sam gazed worriedly over at the mer, uncertain of what to make of it, “Should I administer it?”

            The two agents couldn’t help but frown and shake their heads. O turning to give a reassuring smile, whilst plucking the syringe from his partner’s fingers, earning a snip of protest.

            “While it is a generous offer young lady, we need your help playing the peace keeper, not devil’s advocate,” he smiled sweetly, giving the syringe a few taps.

            Sam got the message, for despite the frown upon her lips, a solemn understanding hung in her eyes as she turned to face the jet black mer. The best had gone from glowering at them, to snarling up at her uncle, having lost its patience with the man’s attempts at distraction. It was now or never.

 

___________________________________

 

 

            The first few attempts were unsuccessful in their approach. If not for Nate blocking the creature’s return to the water, and Sam’s reassuring words, they’d of probably already lost the mer to the depths below. The only thing that had works so far was that Danny calmed considerably whenever Sam was the one within his line of vision. It was an unusual bond of trust between the two of them, and the agents filed the information away for later. It seemed the biologist had not lied to them about the trust they held. Either way, keeping her at the forefront truly worked some unseen magic.

            In the end result, Sam had to bridge the gap between them, holding the mer’s head close to her chest, blocking its wary line of vision from their advance, before giving a quick jab of the needle just below the neck. Danny yowled in initial panic, struggling to pull back and lash out at whatever had stung him, but Sam refused to relinquish her hold upon his head. She muttered soft words, petting over his head and ears until the sedative started to take effect.

            “Well, that was a yikes,” O mused, earning a scowl from his coworker, as there was uncertainty as to how long

            “Let’s just get through this without any more surprises…” K shook his head, a sigh on his lips, “Now help me get the rest of the supplies out.”

            O nodded in turn, bounding excitedly over towards their bags, eager to start the exam.

            Sam just watched them for a while; setting up the exam table among other things, before turning her attention back to the mer resting within her lap. His eyes were dull, but still fighting to remain open, looking up at her with weary askance. It tugged at the strings holding her together, though knowing she needed to remain strong for him. He was frightened of what was going to happen, and she had to be the link to knowing he was safe.

            “It’s going to be ok, Danny. They’re only here to help you get better,” she thumbed over his scaled cheeks, the other hand running fingers through his hair. Danny just gave a weak murmur up at her, ears lying flat in uncertainty, though slowly drooping as the effects of the drugs took their full affect, leaving an unconscious mer within her arms.

            The next hour could not be wasted, as there was uncertainty as to how long the effects would last. The most meticulous, and benign details would have to be put off until the agents had accomplished their goal in coming here in the first place; assessing and treating the mer’s health. From what they’d initially gathered, he’d likely been born with the sickly shades, although it contrasted with the strong and sleek form, albeit his current state. At an impressive two hundred and fifty three centimeters; approximately eight and a half feet; he should have held at least a healthy three hundred and fifty pounds, most of it within the massive tail. However upon weighting, the mer was a frightful two hundred and ninety seven. Within two weeks of refusing to eat, his body had eaten away at itself, desperate to fuel the writhing metabolism. It would take more than just a steady supply of fish to recover from this loss.

            Sam continued to watch them idly as they worked; setting up an iv drip before moving on to prepping shots, and jotting down any distinguishable marks. Her eyes followed the motions as they noted the many scars that lined the mer’s body. With him in such a deep slumber, she could now see them in full detail, how they crisscrossed and left jagged edges to both fins and scales; it told a violent story of years past, out in the wild waters. She couldn’t help but wonder if what they claimed about the aggression invoking illness was true, and if so, how many of those wounds were sustained from fighting his own kin?

            By this point, Nate and K had taken to comparing medical notes, determining which vaccines the mer still needed or did not, whilst O had taken to examining for any other physical abnormalities. He’d run his hands over the different muscles, checking for pulse, breathing, and then any bumps, parasites, or the like. So far he’d found no parasites on the outside, to which he filed with the status of the aquarium’s water and whatever information Nate had provided about its treatment. On that part, the mer was relatively healthy, mostly bearing the scars of old wounds. What puzzled him however, was the strain upon the mer’s diaphragm.

            The muscles were taunt, tight, or pulled in some places, indicating a sever amount of stress being put on the creature’s resonating chamber. While it was normal for there to be some strain on the muscles, seeing as they were usually vocal creatures, their calls carrying out for miles; easily mistaken as a pod of whales; the way the muscles were torn, indicated a twisting motion, as if the mer had tried to warp the sound in some unnatural manner.

            When he’d inquired upon the matter, he was surprised by the initial wariness to answer. It was only after a bit of askance, that the two of them came to an agreement, Sam determining that there wasn’t much harm in answering. The answer, however, was a baffling one and he had to stop himself from laughing. K just looked at them skeptically, before trying to explain that it was physically impossible for a mer to imitate human speech as they lacked the vocal processes to do so. While it was true, that the resonating chamber was used to produce vibrations sounding similar to whale calls, rather than having the vibrations of vocal cords as they did, it was an interesting possibility, the thought of a mer trying to imitate human speech. It left their eyes wondering over to the young Ms. Manson, and the curious thought on if it was the creature’s attempts at getting closer to her, but that was not a question they were willing to ask out loud.

           

__________________________________

 

            They’d finished up with time to spare. Just as they’d begun sorting out the medications needed, and the listing of the ingredients for a recovery diet, the mer had stirred, taking a lazy look up at them before yawning and curling back up into Sam’s lap and dozing off again. She’d smiled softly at the action, taking to stroking one of his ears. Danny was calm at the moment, from the sedative or otherwise, it was enough to put the three scientist’s minds at ease.

            All that was left was to treat the mer’s health and keep a watchful eye upon his weight over the next few months. While they could lose weight in a heartbeat, gaining it back was a whole other step entirely. Both O and K agreed that they would return in a few weeks the check up on his progress; and with a handshake and a pleasant goodbye, the two agents departed.

            But they had not left empty handed, as their minds were abound with the new information they had got. This jet black mer was an enigma; unlike the other creatures they had studied over the years. They could see the signs of sickness, and the aggression that lay just beneath the surface, and yet it remained subdued, even more so around the young Samantha. It was an unexplainable tameness, not even mentioning the protective nature the mer held over her. It was as if he had claimed her…

            They were left to ponder on that curiosity as they reached the curb, hands raised as they made to hail a cab back to their airport, and hopefully back home. However, it wasn’t a cab that pulled up to meet them; a limo parking itself along the curb in front of where they stood. The agent’s eyes narrowing in knowing suspicion of who was behind the tinted glass before the window rolled down.

            “You’re very difficult people to get a hold of,” Vlad mused, earning a disgruntled look from the two of them.

            “We don’t deal with smugglers,” K scowled. His partner in turn, crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.

            “We know you’re using that aquarium as a front for your business. Why else would a wealthy man such as yourself invest in something he seemingly gets no benefits from? Let alone the number of reports found involving your deals with exotic marine life,” O smirked, knowing they’d given a satisfying blow, seeing as the billionaire looked as if he’d swallowed a lemon.

            Yet being a man of business meant that Vlad was quick to compose himself, and strike equally as hard.

            “Is that any different from what you’re doing in New Zealand? Hiding that shoal from the public for the past ten years to perform your little experiments? Having moved on to a new, more exotic species of interest that were easier to hide away after running out of human subjects to test your theories on?” Vlad sneered, watching as the sharp jab at their own dark intentions was enough to make the agents lose their footing. The expressions darkening considerably, whilst they scoured their surroundings for eavesdroppers. He couldn’t help but smirk inwardly at this turning point. While difficult to get a hold of, a man of his stature, with his fingers spread far and deep into the dark recesses of the world, had managed to dig up quite a bit of incriminating information on these so called ‘environmentalists’.

            “What do you want?” O hissed, his usual care free demeanor replaced with a wary, irritable disposition.

            “Now, now. I’m not here to ruffle anyone’s feathers… yet. I’m here inquire upon your visit with our resident mer. I’m certain you noticed the strange behavior towards Ms. Manson, did you not?” The look shared between the two agents was enough of an answer, as the billionaire continued, “I can confirm your suspicions, from quite a bit of evidence over the last few months.”

            “Then it’s true. The creature is truly trying to court her?”

            The tone of fearful excitement was enough for Vlad to know he could pull on this bit of information and use it as leverage. A grin twisted his face into something sinister as he leaned forward to speak to them in hushed breath, “An interesting little experiment, don’t you agree?”

            The two agents shared a look between them, as if holding a silent conversation before turning back towards the businessman, “Looks like we’ll be postponing our flight.”

            Vlad grinned in victory, opening to door for them, “Get in.”


	13. The Tempest

Chapter 13

 

The Tempest

 

           

 

 

            Sam let out a huff, tapping her pen against the paper in front of her. She’d been trying all morning at setting up a lesson plan for her aquatic friend. From what they had learned from the medical exam, Danny’s attempts to communicate verbally had put strain upon his body. Not wanting him to continue hurting himself, but knowing that he would continue to try to bridge the language barrier meant finding another method; the use of signs via one’s hands. But considering that he hardly knew any English, and she barely knew any signs. It was going to be a learning curve for both of them. Thus it was best to start form the basics. With the oncoming semester, she picked up one of the sign language classes and had taken to compiling her notes for a secondary session with the jet black mer.

            The initial first step had been difficult, seeing as the concept wasn’t quite grasped by the mer. The idea of communication with ones hands instead of one’s voice was an alien concept, one that at first gained many verbal protests in response. It was only after a number of attempts at demonstration that she was able to get her point across. The possibilities that this newfound form of communication sparked a curiosity in the mer’s eyes.

            He took to it with a voracious appetite; once the key concepts were understood he grasped the others with an efficiency that left Sam stumbling to catch up. For most things, Sam wouldn’t have bothered with such complicated feats as trying to teach a mer to speak, but there was a sense of intelligence within those bold green eyes that held her attention. A spark of intrigue or wonder, she did not know, but it held with a desire to know just how much those eyes truly understood. It felt more and more like she was dealing with a person, rather than an animal.

            “Working hard? I see that you’ve been busy with those new classes,” Valery chuckled from across the room, folding up laundry and putting it into its respective drawer. She’d been observing her friends debacle for the past few hours, watching her struggle with it to no real success.

            “I found it easier to teach Danny the basics if I started there myself. Though he’s learning the material faster than I can put it out,” Sam frowned, picking up her notes and running over them, assessing for any errors.

            With each passing day Danny had come to understand more commands and simple words and phrases. It had definitely been easier to start off with what he already knew rather than trying to tackle the system as a whole. But once he’d mastered the basics, it was a struggle to provide enough adequate material, as the class moved too slowly for him, and Sam found herself struggling to keep up with her own understanding of it. One would think that considering that most methods for teaching sign language were for people who already knew a good portion of their native language, whether or not they could speak it, and yet a creature that knew little of their language or world at all, picked up on it with such ease. She was stuck providing him with a number of books and other things in attempts to broaden his ‘spoken’ vocabulary, to which he took to just as enthusiastically.

            “Fast learner indeed,” Val hummed, finishing up with the laundry and setting about preparing a cup of tea. Placing the mug in the microwave and letting it click to life with a mechanical buzz, “You think I can come along?”

            “Huh?”

            “You heard me…”

            Sam blinked, turning in her chair to look up at her roommate with a bewildered expression, “I thought you weren’t interested in all this stuff? You’ve been surprisingly quiet about everything since you met Danny.”

            Valery shrugged, tapping her fingers upon the top of the microwave, waiting for the machine to be finished heating up her drink, “You tend to do that when you’ve been threatened at knife point.”

            “Oh……um… sorry about that...”

            Sam grimaced, feeling a wave of embarrassed shame at the mention of the encounter. It had been an initial defense of the secreted mer, seeing as he wasn’t something that the world would take with calm and quiet acceptance. She’d feared that she would have to defend that secret no matter the consequences. It was just that she hadn’t expected the run in to be with her roommate/ friend.

            “Don’t be,” Val hummed, taking her mug out and letting it set upon the counter whilst she set about deciding on a flavor. Though it was obvious she was just filling time and letting the words sink in for the goth.

            “What?”

            “I think you need your hearing checked.”

            “Oh, Har har. But seriously….” Sam frowned, leaning on the back of her chair.

            “But seriously nothing,” Val smiled a knowing smile, selecting her tea and giving the cup a stir, “You were only trying to protect him. Plus if I had five bucks for every person I threatened with a knife over my boyfriend I’d be fucking rich.”

            “Possessive much?” Sam blinked, earning a laugh in return, “But is that really it? You’re just going to forgive me, just like that?”

            “I couldn’t stay angry about it even if I tried. With how you talk about him, he seems like a gentle giant. That or you’re smitten with him.”

            “I am not in love with an animal!”

            “Anyways….. I wanted to see him like you do. Maybe get a better understanding for why he’s something special. The last time I saw him, he was all teeth and claws, but you speak of him like he’s a person,” Valery rolled her eyes at her friend’s outburst, but continued on anyways as if it hadn’t happened; spoon clinking against the mug as she stirred a bit of honey into the mix.

            Sam paused mid tantrum, the words sinking in and leaving her feeling mute. She tapped her heels against the chair legs, falling into a quiet trail of thought. The room drifting into silence, leaving only the sounds of a stirring spoon and the gentle patter of heels upon wood.

            “Where’s Tucker anyways?”

            “Off at some video gaming tournament. Boys being boys, ya know?” Val shrugged it off, not in the mood to mention her boyfriend and attempting to let the tension ease with a bit of normal conversation. Much wasn’t needed, as the short diversion had been enough to set the goth’s mind straight.

            “Alright. You can come,” Sam sighed, compiling her notes into a haphazard stack for the trip.

            “Just like that?”

            “Just like that. Besides, I could use an extra hand in training him.”

            “What about your uncle?”

            “He’s been rather busy as of late,” Sam just shook her head, stuffing papers into her bag. It wasn’t a lie per say, more of a half-truth. Since the fight, the two of them had grown distant. The jet black mer was hesitant to even approach the man, despite all reassurances. It was almost as if he was afraid of himself more than he was of the scientist. Nate had been kind enough to back off and give the mer his space, but the behavior had yet to shift into a more positive light. At the least it was not aggression he was showing, and more of a respectful submission. But it was still something she’d rather Valery not have in the forefront of her mind as a judgement call upon meeting the mer once again. Thankfully Val seemed to accept the answer for what it was and didn’t question her further.

 

 

_____________________________________

 

 

            They spent the early afternoon out among the fish markets searching for a few treats to coax their aquatic friend’s cooperation. An expensive bribe as far as Valery was concerned, even with Sam’s placating response that it was barely a scratch on his eating expenses. Three to four salmon, and a pound of shrimp hardly scraped the surface of the mer’s daily intake either, but it was meant more as a source of extra comfort rather than a meal.

            Taking their catch inside, Sam led them through the maze of backrooms, ignoring the usual hustle and bustle that accompanied a Saturday afternoon. Once they reached their destination, they quietly slipped through the doors and up into the quiet stillness of the upper exhibit without a word of question. The only sounds to reach their ears, the swash of waves and the occasional scratching upon the stone.

            Peering into the enclosure, Valery was met with an unusual sight. Instead of facing bared teeth and threatening growls, she was met with the mer’s back; his long tail surrounded with stacks of books of varying shapes and sizes. Most were children’s novels or picture books, while there were a few more complex tomes scattered about, much was the one that so deeply held the mer’s attention. Only and ear flicked to signal that he was listening to their approach.

            Sam halted their approach just outside of strike range, close enough to get a better look, but still maintaining a safe and respectful distance while with the presence of a stranger. She knew he’d noticed Valery from how he’d tensed, ear fins twisting and turning as he listened, but otherwise made no attempt at turning his attention away from the fable in his clutches; turning the page and continuing to read.

            “He can read?” Valery stared, her voice barely a whisper, almost unable to comprehend what was in front of her.

            “A bit. He’s still learning. Though it does tend to absorb most of his attention,” Sam mused, setting the bags of fish down to begin prep, “The only thing that grabs his attention faster is food.”

            As predicted, the rustle of the bags had Danny’s attention almost immediately, earning an amused laugh from the goth. He chittered excitedly, the book forgotten where it lay, as he turned round, sniffing the air. He only hesitated in his approach when he remembered the other presence in the room. The mer’s glare falling upon the unfamiliar female.

            The two stared at one another for a long moment of silence. Valery struggled to maintain her composure while confronted with such intensity. Every instinct yelling at her to run, and yet she stood frozen to the spot, trapped in his gaze. This was the stare of an apex predator, powerful and deadly, inspecting her like some piece of meat. It was terrifying. She couldn’t grasp how Sam could handle it.

            She could feel the relief wash over her when he broke eye contact. The tension collapsing and her knees almost following suit. But it didn’t last, relief quickly turning into dread at the fish presented to her and what it implied. She could barely manage him staring at her, let alone the thought of giving him an excuse to take her hand.

            Sam had watched the interaction in a calm silence, taking in the reactions between the two if she needed to intervene. She’d seen the initial warning in the mer’s eyes, before it sparked with recognition. He remembered her from their initial encounter. At the least his turned with an expression of annoyance rather than with an out lash of aggression. It was a good sign, at least.

            Taking one of the fish in hand, she held it out for Valery to offer him. The poor girl was still shaking like a leaf, probably overwhelmed. Danny by this point was disinterested in her, just following the sight of the fish.

            “Oh no, you’re not seriously thinking….” She was horrified, and Sam wasn’t having any of it, holding the salmon in front of her, ignoring the mer’s impatient warbles.

            “Take the fish. It’s a trust exercise.”

            “But it’s so slimy,” Val cringed, trying to avoid touching it.

            “And I’m a vegan and you don’t see me complaining…. Now take the fish,” Sam scowled, all but shoving the fish into her arms causing the girl to squawk indignantly but take it anyways.

            Once the salmon changed hands, both parties grew hesitant. Valery nearly froze as the mer’s features shifted from keen interest to agitation. It wasn’t that Danny wasn’t willing to take food from many hands; he’d gotten over that some time ago; but rather the sense of uncertainty that hovered over the matter. He wanted to know the rules of this engagement. He recognized the darker female from many months ago; the scent of her mate still strong, and yet not present within the room; questioning why she was here again given than she was frightened. A look towards his beloved and her calm demeanor was enough to tell him that this was some sort of exercise. To what avail, he did not know, not that he really cared to really know, the scent of the fish was growing more appealing.

            Seeing the question in his eyes, Sam smiled reassuringly, gesturing towards the fish.

            “Hold it out to him, at arm’s length,” With how nervous her friend was, Sam knew she needed a bit of a guiding hand to make this a successful interaction. At the least Danny was calm, giving them time to try and adjust, albeit his patience was always thin; tailing flicking while sniffing the air in anticipation.

            “He’s not going to bite me, right?” Valery hesitated, not taking her eyes off the jet black mer as she shakily held out the fish.

            “He only wants to fish,” Sam attempted to reassure her whilst gesturing for the mer to continue his inspection

            Satisfied, Danny carefully took the salmon in his jaws, waiting for her to release it before backing away giving himself some distance to swallow his snack with the knowledge that it wasn’t to be stolen. He wasn’t ever really discrete with his food possessiveness, but it was allowed to slide, seeing as he hadn’t harmed the girl. Content with the results, Sam turned to start cutting up the rest of the fish into smaller treats, leaving Valery to take in the experience; her gaze shifting between her hands and the dark mer in bewilderment.

            “Is that it?”

            “Yeah?”

            “He’s so gentle…”

            “He knew you were scared, and you gave him no reason to consider you a threat,” Sam hummed, feeling comfortable enough to take a seat upon the concrete, unpacking her things as she went. Valery eventually followed suit, feeling a bit more comfortable in the presence of the jet black mer. Danny in turn, watched them with rapt curiosity, unless distracted by the occasional piece of fish. It was only when they’d run out of scraps to tease him with that it seemed it was time to move onto the training aspect of their visit.

            Pointing over to the book, Sam signaled the question with her hands whilst verbally repeating herself to gain the mer’s attention, “What are you reading Danny?”

            Said mer’s ears perked up at her words, and upon seeing the gestures with her hands grew excited. He all but bounded over to where the forgotten book lay, bringing it back over to her with an excited wiggle.

            Taking the booking hand, she turned it over, reading the title aloud, “The Tempest? That’s an awfully challenging read.”

            While Sam knew he probably didn’t understand most of it; picking out interesting or known words and trying to piece together what he could; Valery did not. She stared on with an utmost fascination as to just how much this mythical creature truly knew. If it was possible to not be the only highly intelligent species on the planet, and how far this mer was willing to go to bridge the gap between their words. Probably much more than either girl knew.

            Danny pawed at the concrete in anticipation till she returned the book to his eager hands. A happy chirp his answer as he ran his fingers over the faded title. He’d stayed that way for a while, lost in thought, his eyes roaming the cover. It was one of the older books Sam had brought out for the mer to explore, and by the looks of things, he’d taken a liking to the novel.

            His gaze eventually raised to look up at the two women, a question on the tip of his tongue, and yet he let it stay there. He remembered the rules of this engagement. She spoke with both her hands and her voice so he could understand the motions and what they meant. He was to talk with his hands, not his voice. Thus he let his question form through the unspoken words.

            ‘ _What is…,_ ’ He paused, uncertain of how to sign the word he was looking for. His eyes finding the now familiar letters on the book cover, he shifted to spelling out the last word, ‘ _Tempest’_.

            “The book, or the word?” Sam inquired further, running through the signals as she spoke.

            ‘ _The word_ ,’ he repeated the last sign back to her.

            “It’s a storm,” Valery spoke up, ignoring the incredulous look the mer gave her. As far as he was concerned she wasn’t playing the game.

            She could now see and understand why Sam enjoyed this, getting to speak to a creature of myth as a person, rather than an animal. It left a sense of joy and accomplishment that was normally unseen. But there was still the churning unease that settled in her stomach; the lingering concern for her friend’s safety. What would bridging this gap between man and beast bear? What did this mer gain from trying to associate as a human? She had to be sure that the answer wasn’t sitting right next to her.

            Sam hushed the mer’s offended growl before giving a nod in agreement to Val’s words, “She’s right, Danny. A tempest is a storm. You know, dark clouds, rain, with thunder and lightning?”

            The mer just huffed, taking the answer for what it was and letting the matter of the strange female’s interruption slide. He took to drawing out the description on the materials provided, namely chalk upon the concrete, letting a childish, but recognizable image of a thunder cloud form above a swash of waves. Sam nodded to show he was correct, smiling at the little spark of creativity.

            Since she’d found out about his interest in the pictures and his attempts at recreating them upon the concrete, she’d taken to getting him things to draw with along with the ever needed books. They’d been accepted readily with great excitement, though it had been a bit of a shock to come in the next day finding the entire enclosure covered in chalk designs.

            Most were simple scrabbles of color, while others had a childlike way of seeing the world through hands unfamiliar with the utensils. Either way it was a playful experiment into how much he could comprehend and express through abstract means.

            Danny continued to ramble on in his own way for a short while, fiddling with the chalk for a while longer before realizing that Sam still wanted to continue their game. He picked himself up, pulling the book over to himself again. From there the conversation drifted around the book; most of it on words he couldn’t decipher, or were frequently repeated throughout the text, a majority of which were names of the cast.

            It had taken a few times for the concept of names to sink in, but once the understanding was had, Danny had taken to it with a renewed interest. He understood that humans preferred to give things ‘names to call them by, including themselves; like the name they’d given him. Once it was understood that the unusual words that repeated over and over again were names he quickly came to the realization that it was a story about said names, though instead of brightly colored pictures, it was told through words. It fascinated him to no end, and from there he bounded between asking about the plot, to the characters themselves, much to the amusement and astonishment of the two women.

            ‘ _How do say…. Juno?_ ’ He spelt the last word with his hands, unable to figure out if there was a sign for it or how to simply say it.

            “It’s pronounced Juu-no,” Sam annunciated the word for him, though she couldn’t give him any signs just like the last few names. Danny had come to realize that most names were simply spelt and would follow along accordingly. He wasn’t discouraged, and Sam could see the flicker of determination in the mer’s eyes; one that was usually followed with his attempt to imitate the sound. Most of the names he’d tried to pronounce with failure, and despite her scolding him not to strain his voice, he wasn’t about to give up just yet.

            Just as she raised her hand to try and stop him from speaking, he’d already tested the word on his tongue and found that it felt proper coming from the chest instead. It was a natural sort of sound, and he let it resonate in the air with a newfound confidence. He could say this name.

           “Juuuu-no,” he repeated himself with a proud flick of his tail.

            Sam just stared at the jet black mer with absolute astonishment. Unlike before, there was no aching rasp for a barely ushered word; no twisting of the face in discomfort at trying to produce a sound he could not create. It had resonated deep and guttural within the mer’s chest. It had come naturally to him, she’d realized; the hauning sound familiar to his normal howling calls. The only distinguishable difference between the ways it was pronounced was that he elongated the first syllable and the ‘j’ almost fell silent.

            ‘ _Name, yes?_ ’

            Sam blinked, realizing that he’d switched back to using his hands while she was lost in thought.

            “Yes, it’s a name,” She smiled, tossing him a bit of shrimp which he accepted greedily.

            “Isn’t Juno the Roman goddess of love, youth, and marriage?” Valery chimed in, offering a shrimp in turn. She’d been watching most of the conversation in rapt fascination. Not only was the mer intelligent enough to hold a conversation spoken or not, he was a fast learner.             Danny accepted the shrimp with a short growl. He still didn’t appreciate this strange female interrupting what he considered a personal moment with his beloved, but took the offering as appeasement and let the matter slide. He was more interested in what she meant.

            ‘ _Goddess?_ ’ the word was spelt out again. Unfamiliar with its meaning, the mer cocked his head to the side, giving a curious expression.

            By this point Sam just sighed, rubbing her brow. The concept of religions and gods wasn’t something that the mer would be able to wrap his head around. It was a very human concept, one that people still fought over as they inquired about its true meaning. It would take far longer to explain that theory even with a more advanced vocabulary than he had now.

            “She was one of the spirits that Prospero summoned to bless the young couple,” Sam answered, a frown forming on her lips, “How did you pass yesterday’s exam? We just finished reading this book last week.”

            “I paid Mikey for the answers…” Val grinned sheepishly.

            “Figures… You didn’t read any of it did you...”

            “Not a word.”

            Sam rolled her eyes, bringing her attention back over to the dark mer. Danny had his nose in the book again, having lost interest in the conversation. He knew when the concepts dove into human ‘territory’ and left it at that, knowing it was something he wouldn’t understand without more knowledge. All he’d gotten from it was that Juno was a name of love, being young, and that it came from a book called the ‘storm’. He warbled in his own mutterings, running his webbed fingers over the pages.

            Training was done for the day. Sam knew the look on the mer’s face, knowing that they wouldn’t get anything more out of him. Thus she simply rewarded him for his efforts with the remaining fish, which he took without complaint. He swallowed the first few whole, ignoring the looks he got from the dark female. Then, taking the first one in hand, he nuzzled his beloved before disappearing into the waters below.

            Valery watched the exchange with an uncertain expression. Despite the fact that the mer had made no means to bite her, it showed a different sort of trust and affection for the goth. The sort of affection that made the African teen wary.

            “Is that it?” she asked, almost fearful that the mer would return with the mention of her words.

            “He’s done for the day. When there’s a lot of new topics, he tends to mull over them for a while,” Sam did not take notice of her worry, simply nodding and turning to pack away their things. She hummed to herself, seeming content. They’d made a great amount of progress today, both in his ability to understand signs, and his patience with introducing someone new. It was a good day indeed.

            Valery however, didn’t share her sentiment, but turned to follow suit in the packing. There was a lot at stake here, especially with such a powerful and aggressive animal trying to bridge the gap between himself and humanity all for the affections of the woman next to her. Worst part of all was that the goth seemed to have no idea of what was really going on. It frightened her.

            “Sam, you need to be careful… I know Danny seems sweet and gentle, but don’t forget what he is… He could seriously hurt you…” She paused in the doorway, earning a look of concern.

            “It’ll be ok, Val,” Sam attempted to reassure her friend, “I’ve worked with him for almost a year. I know what he’s capable of.”

            Val nodded meekly, swallowing the knot in her throat. Sam just smiled and turned away, heading out onto the bustling sidewalk to begin the long march home.

            There wasn’t anything she could do to stop this, how she wanted to warn her of the impending danger that was looming on the horizon. She could feel her stomach twist as she watched the receding back of her friend disappear into the crowd. Why couldn’t she do more?

            “You need to get out Sam… Before _He_ hurts you…” Val muttered under her breath, not that it mattered, as the goth was already gone with the evening rush. There was nothing she could do, soon that mad man would seriously hurt her, and somehow would use the mer’s affections to do so.

            “You’re quite the little actress, aren’t you?” A sultry voice from behind caused her to freeze. She cursed under her breath and whirled on him, gaze narrowed.

            “Even think of the devil and he shall come,” She hissed, earning a chuckle from the billionaire.

            Vlad just eyed her with an amused look before turning to stare off in the direction Sam had left; crowds of people bustling by trying to get home from work.

            “So, what did you observe?” he mused, pulling out his phone and examining whatever was on screen as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. The poor girl was stiff, fists clenching and unclenching; he knew she either wanted to hit him or run, but could do neither, not with the situation as it was.

            It had been rather easy to twist this girl and her lover to his whim. Having advertised a false video game tournament had been the start. Once he had the boy in his possession, the girl retaliated, but had been quick to submit with the offer he’d given them. After all, not losing their lives, and having their college tuition out of the way was a strong incentive for anyone with sensible means. Vlad smirked before pocketing his phone.

            “Do I need to repeat myself, dear?”

            Valery tensed, knowing that the words were a threat to both her and Tucker. It didn’t stop her from giving a snarl as she turned to face him. Oh how she wanted to hit him.

            “As far as I could see, he’s learning from her, and quickly. He understands about as much of our language as a three year old. Sam expects him to be on par with most first graders by the beginning of summer,” She quipped, her knuckles white from firsts clenched so tightly.

            “That’s all very interesting Ms. Gray, but you know what I’m asking about,” Vlad sneered, hands in his pockets as if it was a casual conversation.

            “Whatever your plan is, it’s not going to work…”

            “Oh?”

            “Danny cares too much for her to listen to you,” She hissed, still tempted to hit him. She still couldn’t understand why or what he was planning with having the mer be affectionate to her friend. All she did know was that it was bad news for Sam, one way or another, she was in danger. They all were.

            Vlad just stared at her for a long moment before a sly grin twisted itself onto his face, “Oh, that’s what I’m counting on.”

            He mused, reaching up and pulling a slip of paper out of his suit. He dropped it before her as he walked passed, “You’ll find your boyfriend is quite safe and sound; asleep in his room. Good day to you.”

            Valery watched him go; slip into his car along the curb and drive off. With hands shaking, she picked up the slip of paper, revealing it to be a check. He’d played into her weakness and gotten what he’d wanted. Thus left there to cry.

 


	14. Song And Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **MATURE CONTENT WARNING!!!**
> 
> This chapter contains scenes that pertain to violent, sexual, and torture related material. Sensitive/ young readers be warned!
> 
> Captivity is now rated M!

Chapter 14

Song and Dance

The waters were warm. Down to his bones Danny could feel the surging heat that came with the tropical spring. It buzzed along his scales in the false sunlight that trickled down into the waters, fueling the sensations that prickled through his veins, driving his frustrations. The mer had yet to procure a suitable gift for his beloved and he doubted that song and dance alone would woe her.

Not that there wasn't anything wrong with song and dance… He flexed his fins, giving them a long, hard examination. They'd grown brighter as of late, a more brilliant white than their usual cloudy gray. Along with his fins, his scales shone with a vibrant flare; his stripes more pronounced in the light while the rest glinted with almost a subtle hint of green. Yet in the dark, they were still their ever powerful ebony. It was the healthiest he'd ever looked and felt; all the signs that he was ready for his debut, and yet, he was not.

He huffed in frustration, clawing irritably at the rocks. He still had no gifts, and there wasn't much in the way of pickings either. The corals that lined the tank he claimed as home were either dull in color, or fake and made of stone. The oysters from before had produced no yield and had resulted in nearly breaking the relationship he was trying to form.

Thus unable to find an object to impress her, he turned to his newer talents. If he could not express himself through an item of worth, he would create one. He still remembered the look of delight upon her face at seeing him create his thoughts upon the ground in the form of simple pictures. While it held a childlike fascination on both their parts, he wanted her to know more than that.

He found the box of chalk he'd grown fond of off along the far wall, just outside his comfort zone by the water's edge. Still he pushed himself, breaching the safety of the water for her, to claim it. He then proceeded to color the entire upper enclosure in a menagerie of designs. Spiraling winds and rolling seas, he portrayed every image he could recall in great detail till every inch of concrete was covered and the chalk worn down into dust.

While not a physical gift, it was certainly something to marvel at. It was something unlike any other mer had done. It was unique and stunning as far as he was concerned, looking on at his masterpiece with a content nod. He'd put a great amount of effort into it. Enough so that he found himself exhausted and curled up to sleep, forgetting about the cool necessity of the water. His dream filled thoughts on pleasing her.

Danny wasn't sure how long he'd slept, only that he was abruptly awoken by the sensation of rain. The water running down and cooling off his dry and dusty scales; powered in a whole variety of colors. He was so dry he nearly felt sick, and swore that if he moved his scales would chip and crack. Thus the moisture came as a much needed relief and he relished in it for a long peaceful moment.

Though the longer he stayed there, the more the sensation began to bother him. It felt good, yes, but there was something bugging at the back of his skull that it was wrong. He raised his head to seek out the source of the water, only to find what was nagging in the back of his mind. He was greeted with a horrifying sight.

Pools of color sloshed about, wiping away and smearing his efforts into a muddy, awful mixture. The water that cascaded off of him devoured the chalk as it went, slowly destroying everything he'd spent hours working on. He shrieked, pawing at the designs as if it would stop the downpour from destroying all he'd worked for. It was only when the water shifted and a voice called out that he froze.

"Easy there bud. You need to be more careful. Had you dried out much more I fear you'd of been very sick again," Nathaniel smiled sheepishly, trying to calm the jet black mer; hose swaying in his grip.

Danny's eyes wavered from the ruined art, up to the spray that doused him and followed it down to the hose in the scientist's hands. The man in turn, just smiled as if he'd done no wrong, and normally it wasn't, seeing as the water was a much needed physical relief. However, the dark mer wasn't rational, his thoughts everywhere but self-preservation. Fins flared and hackles raised, he screeched, tail swishing violently and eyes ablaze. The mer glowered up at him with a newfound fury. Fangs bared, he mock lunged at the man, hiss still in his throat.

The biologist was quick to stumble backwards, dropping the hose at the sudden display of aggression, leaving it to flood the chalk coated ground. It was only when Danny's gaze shifted towards the offending hose with a snarl that Nate realized his mistake. He was quick to shut the water off.

"I'm so sorry, boy. I was only trying to help you," he stepped back a few paces, well aware that he was within strike range, and the mer knew it too, following him with his eyes.

The mer shrieked again, clawing at the concrete with an angry swipe. He was quick to strike again, causing the man to jump away, holding out a placating hand.

"Easy, Easy. I didn't mean to ruin your drawings," his voice wavered despite his attempts to remain calm. They didn't need a repeat of what happened last time, "I really was only trying to help you. Can you forgive me?"

Danny eyed him darkly, though his gaze had shifted towards the outstretched hand, to the very visible scars of their last violent encounter vibrant against the skin. His ears lay flat at the reminder of what he'd nearly lost that day. No, he wasn't going to let himself repeat that mistake. He turned his head away, hiss still rumbling heavily within his chest. He could hear Nate breathe a sigh of relief, which only angered the already infuriated mer. Just because he wasn't going to attack him, didn't mean he would put up with the male in his dancing grounds, human or not. Especially not after such an offence.

Just as Nate was certain that the tantrum was finished, it started up again. He gave a yelp of surprise as the mer all but chased him out of the exhibit; screeching and squawking as it slammed against the door he'd locked himself behind. The mer's tantrum continued for some time before it retreated back into the safety of the waters. The sounding splash and following silence the signs that it was safe to peer into the enclosure. As he'd thought, Danny had found his retreat suitable and had given up chase. Though perhaps it was wise to come back later, let his aquatic friend calm. He closed the door.

Danny snarled and swiped at the sand, stirring up the water in a violent frenzy causing the other fish to scatter. So far, every attempt was ruined, either by lack of resources or by mishaps like the one that had just occurred. The only thing the remaining chalk art told was of the recent skirmish, which he doubted Sam would be pleased about. At the very least he'd managed to avoid hurting the man; no doubt he wouldn't be forgiven a second time around.

Yet he was still left with the issue of having nothing to present her with. He was stuck in his earlier predicament of song and dance not being enough. It was absolutely frustrating to where the jet black mer couldn't deciding on screaming at the surface world or attacking something.

But then a flicker of something shiny within the sands caught his attention, pulling him away from his violent thoughts. He floated over, hovering just above the spot he'd noticed it and pawed curiously in the sand. Apparently his thrashing about had disturbed the shiny object from its resting place and he couldn't help but be curious enough to disturb it further.

What he found startled him. A pearl lay upon the soft earth, having been hidden there for who knows how long. The dark mer chittered with a newfound, nervous excitement as he picked it up and inspected it. It held a silvery purple hue, small, but smooth, a genuine article and not some rounded stone.

Danny knew it wasn't from his clutch of oysters, they'd been honestly too small to truly bear fruit whether he was willing to admit it or not. The only place he could think it possibly came from was by the hands of that older, unnerving male. He'd almost dropped it at the memory; that sneaky, prideful character trying to appeal to his trust with a mating gift. It still disgusted him, human error or not.

However it had been a few months since then and the man's scent had washed away from the small treasure with the tide. By this point it was considered an abandoned treasure, and therefore up for grabs from any opportunistic male, like himself.

He warbled happily to himself, turning the pearl over in his hands. He was finally ready to make his proposal. The question remained on if she would accept it.

Sam had arrived later in the afternoon, finding her uncle pacing about his office. The man was troubled, in and out of phone calls and running through scattered papers. It didn't help that his hair was a mess and his clothes held a damp air to them.

"What's eating you?" she raised a brow, tossing her pack upon one of the lounge chairs.

"Well, I just received a call from Mr. Masters. He needs some help wrangling a rather aggressive whale off the coast and resources are a little scarce…"

"Which means you have to go check it out yourself," she followed.

Nate nodded in turn, picking up a few papers and examining them with half interest; mostly maps and jotted notes on the location the creature was spotted. Sam eyed him skeptically throughout the long moment of silence, knowing he wasn't giving her the whole story.

"You usually jump at the chance for this kind of stuff. So what's wrong?" she crossed her arms with a frown, refusing to let him slip through the cracks. He acknowledged this with a sigh, setting the paper's down.

"Danny's a bit high strung as of late, particularly today. I didn't want to leave you alone with him in such an aggressive state," he shook his head, knowing that despite the mer's easily agitated state, Sam had always held her own against him. That and the incident from that morning had been his fault.

"I'll be fine. Though what happened to piss him off?" Sam frowned, giving him a quick look over. At least he didn't seem injured this time around, more spooked than anything.

"I accidentally washed away his chalk drawings…" He scratched his chin, looking sheepish.

"Huh, so he's really touchy about his art. Who knew," She shrugged, seeming somewhat amused. Figures that her uncle would accidentally offend their aquatic scholar with something as simple as daily washing down the enclosure. Though it was a bit unusual for Danny to grow so possessive over the drawings. Food was understandable, but art was something new altogether.

"If by touchy, you mean chase you out of the enclosure, then yes," The biologist frowned, crossing his arms with a huff, "But seriously, I'm worried. He's grown more territorial in the past few weeks than he has in nearly a year since he's been here. I'm beginning to wonder if he's going into season."

"You think so?"

"Pretty certain. He shows a number of signs."

Sam sighed, pulling a water from her bag and uncapping it, "It'll be fine. I'll be cautious and keep a wide berth if need be. He's still got to eat y'know," she took a sip from her drink.

"Alright, alright. I'll hopefully be back before it gets too late. Just promise me you'll call if something goes wrong."

"Promise. If you want I'll document anything unusual for you."

"I'd appreciate that. I'm curious on how mers even go about attracting mates? Do they sing like whales or dance like birds? Do they challenge one another? Such a curiosity."

She smiled reassuringly, letting the man wander into his own daydreams before readjusting her bag and heading off to the enclosure. Her mind abuzz with the thought her uncle had left in her head. In truth she'd been curious about whether or not mers went into season like other animals did, seeing as Danny had been part of the aquatic center for almost a year, and spring was the last season the mer had yet to see inside of the grand exhibit. Considering he was brought in towards the end of last spring, she wondered if his aggression towards fishing boats had been a sign of his previous heat. Though there was still the sad fact that there was no mate for the dark mer within the confines of the aquarium's walls. Maybe she could finally convince her uncle to release him back into the wilds where he belonged.

Upon entering the exhibit she could see the signs of the earlier skirmish, from the abandoned hose along the far wall to the remains of scattered chalk drawings. Some were half smeared or washed away by the offending hose, and from the scratches upon the concrete it had indeed upset the jet black mer. It was funny to think of him as a proud artist, but it was a worthwhile mirth that left a skip in her stride as she set about preparing his next meal; perhaps a bit of salmon to lighten his mood.

She could see Danny not far off, his head half above the surface of the water, following her along the water's edge. He'd circled back a few times like an impatient dog awaiting his supper, at least the mer did until he disappeared back under the surface. It caused her to pause in her preparation, wondering why he was so nervous about approaching her. Usually he was quick to pull himself up out of the water, yowling excitedly. That was until she remembered the earlier upset Nate had explained to her not even a few minutes ago.

The last time there'd been a major conflict between the mer and her uncle it hadn't ended well, and Danny had shown he was more than capable of punishing himself for loosing affinity with her. Perhaps he feared she was upset with him again over his tantrum earlier in the morning.

She shook her head, setting down her things and beginning to undress. It was times like these that she was grateful she'd decided to put on a swim suit. Not that she had any qualms about diving in after the dark mer in her clothes; she'd done so before to pull him out of one of his depressed stupors. Loosening the tie holding up her shorts, she let them slide off with ease, revealing the smooth, ebony spandex of her bikini. With a sigh, Sam stepped out of them, wandering back over to the fish she had prepped and taking a few off the top of the pile.

"Let's get this over with, silly goose," she mused, making her way to the shallow end of the pool and wading in.

Stopping just at the drop off she peered down into the crystal clear waters of the exhibit, able to see the flourishing corals and schools of fish flitting about between them. The dark mer wasn't too far off, seeming to be pacing about the length of the tank in what she could only describe as a nervous tick. At least he wasn't secluded in the depths of one of the caves like last time.

Jostling the surface of the water, she waited to receive any response from the mer. It was slow going as he'd paused in his pacing to look up at her, tail flicking uneasily, but still refusing to come up and greet her with the usual enthusiasm.

"It's alright Danny, I'm not mad at you," Sam hoped that her voice travelled enough through the waters to reach him, tossing a fish out for emphasis that she came in peace.

She could see him move along the reef, making his way through the waters to the dropped catch. At least he was still willing to eat, though she couldn't for the life of her understand what was making him so skittish. She tossed another fish for good measure, watching as he plucked that one up as well, before turning to look up at her again. He seemed to be debating with himself over something before finally willing himself up towards the surface.

Danny breached the surface tension a few feet off, only his eyes and part of his dorsal fin above the water. He still seemed to observe her warily, making a large circle about the pool, causing the goth wonder what in the world was bothering him.

Sam just shook her head giving a reassuring smile before tossing another fish, "I promise I'm not mad at you, silly. I think your drawings are very pretty, and I'll be sure to get you some more chalk so you can fix them, k?"

Her words seemed to have the right affect, as for the next fish that she tossed was caught up in the air, the dark mer's form leaping completely out of the water in a vibrant circle before diving back down below the surface. The sudden blur of motion had left a squeak on her lips as she tumbled backwards, slashing into the shallow waters. He'd been quick to surface again, looking over at her with a more curious than nervous expression, warbling his concern for her fall.

"I'm ok. You just surprised me is all," She waved him off, giving a toothy grin, "Now the question is, are you ok?"

The mer warbled in response before circling closer, his movements still skittish, but holding more confidence than they had earlier. Sam could only chuckle at him, offering the last fish she had on hand. He took it gently from her fingers, backing away a few paces before scarfing it down with ease. Once finished, he gave his fangs a satisfied lick, verifying that she had no more to currently offer before diving back into the depths of the tank, leaving her sitting there looking dumbfounded.

Danny couldn't blame her for her confusion, after all he was confusing himself. It was a mixture of excitement and fear that left him pacing about the tank uncertain of what to do. Now that the opportunity had presented itself to him, both in her presence and that of his chosen gift, he was practically chickening out. At the very least she wasn't angry at him for the earlier skirmish, he never wanted to repeat that experience again, seeing her so hurt and angry with him.

He paused in his fidgeting to eye the pearl he'd set neatly upon the rocks, giving it a once over before raising his gaze back up to the figure of his beloved. She was still sitting in the shallows, probably waiting to see if he was going to come back up. He knew that if he waited too long, she'd take her leave, and he wasn't certain if this chance would pass him by again. Swallowing his fear, he braced himself upon the rocks to begin the show that boiled up from his deepest instincts. The long, drawn out call, howling out across the waters and echoing about the enclosure in a haunting array of sound.

It was as beautiful as it was frightening, the way the sound bounced about the structure, vibrating the water's surface with its tenor. It left Sam staring out across the water, hand on her chest as she could feel the waves of sound reverberate through her.

"Danny?" her voice was barely above a whisper, not wanting to disturb the unusual process whilst trying to decipher what exactly was going on. It certainly wasn't normal behavior, nor was it anything like the screeches and squawks he gave when she came to feed him. Perhaps this was something she would have to document in her report for later.

It wasn't long after that the mer made his presence known, leaping out of the water and performing a number of spiraling feats before crashing back down into the waters below and diving into the depths of the pool. It wasn't the usual song and dance Danny had seen in his youth, as the one he loved could not breathe the water as he did and thus couldn't behold the same underwater spectacle that came with the flashing of fins and dancing arrays. He had to improvise a bit, bringing the show up to her level in hopes that the display would still dazzle her with the prime of his youth.

He'd only disappeared into the depths to collect the pearl, clutching it tightly in his left hand before ascending to continue the dance. Broaching the surface with a growl, he flared his dual peaked dorsal fin to its full length, shaking it, letting the light flicker upon the brilliant white membrane as the water scattered about. He repeated this a few times between performing acrobatic feats, slowly making his way closer with each procession.

In a sense it was a means of attraction and hypnotism, as he remembered females within the shoal taking an interest and watching the vibrating fins, seemingly unawares of the males' approach until he'd presented his gift. If any male failed to maintain the females' attention to their dance, and they took notice before they were close enough to offer their piece, they'd find themselves chased off rather aggressively. There was also the chance of rejection even after presenting the gift, but he still had to try. He was too deep into the ceremony to back out now, not without receiving her disrespect for his cowardice, and thus losing his chance completely.

It appeared that the odds were in his favor at the moment, as the goth hadn't shown any signs of backing away or turning hostile towards him. If anything she watched the display in awe, a gentle smile upon her lips. He was only a few feet away by this point, and it was now or never before she took notice of his proximity.

Giving another twirl, he pulled himself around and lunged forward, using the momentum to propel himself towards her, closing the distance in barely a second. Sam spooked at the motion, but barely had time to register what had occurred before she found the pearl held out in open palms towards her face. Upon further discovery, the mer's head was bowed, eyes closed as if awaiting retribution, maintaining the posture of presentation. If she accepted it from his hands, then he'd won his right. If she refused it, then he'd have to run for it.

Half of her mind was reeling, trying to understand everything that had just occurred. How had Danny gotten so close to her without her notice, why was he sprawled out in front of her as he was, and why were his hands nearly shoved in her face when it was clear he'd shown no aggression towards her? Her thoughts were ground to a halt upon noticing the small pearl glistening in the palms held out to her.

It was small, glistening with a lavender glow that reminded her of her eyes. Sam couldn't help but wonder where he'd gotten it, though it was clear he was presenting to her as either a gift or an apology for one thing or another. An elaborate apology… She frowned slightly, plucking it from his hands, turning it over between her fingers to further examine it. It was very pretty, that was for certain.

"Where did you-," she wasn't able to finish her question as lips caught her own, her body tumbling backwards into the shallow waters, the full force of the jet black mer on top of her.

She squirmed beneath him, her face barely above the water's surface. It was lucky that this part of the pool was the shallowest before the drop off, otherwise she was certain she'd drown before she could move the hulking three hundred pounds of mer off of her. As it was, the mer made no move to remove himself from where he lay.

A growl reverberated through his chest, low and primal as he released her lips. It was a human gesture of affection, but Danny hoped that it would express what it was meant to. She'd taken the gift after all, fueling his excitement with instinctive desire. All that was left was to claim her as his mate and the union would be done, whether she chose him as a life partner or simply for this cycle. He could only hope that the value of the gift was enough to show his devotion in making her stay.

He could feel her shift slightly beneath him, either in preparation, or in the usual dominance play that sometimes came about with the ritual of mating. If he'd been in a more playful mood, he'd of teased her, continuing the game for what it was, but it was a game that was often left to couples that remained for many years, a means to rejuvenate the vigor of love. And as of that moment his desperation to have her as his own left him growling. He wasn't going to play, she was his and his alone, and no one could take her from him, not even herself.

He brought his fangs down upon her collar bone, not deep enough to draw blood, but enough to hold his claim over her. Hips shifting as his fins righted himself over her, trying to find the place along her sides to hook himself into position. Of course without any scales to grab they clawed at the skin, before hooking upon the stretchy fabric of her bikini. It wasn't a stable hold, the material shifting as she writhed beneath him until it tore altogether.

The material slipped away, giving him no real hold as she struggled, hands pushing against his chest, insistent on continuing with the dominance game. He only growled into her neck, adjusting his hold upon her collar for emphasis that he wasn't willing to play. It seemed the only way he was going to maintain his position was through pressing them into the earth beneath them. Giving his tail a flick, he shifted, wiggling himself into the space between her legs.

Sam squirmed trying to push the mer off of her. Apparently they were right about him coming into season, and a number of inconsistencies involving the mer's behavior all started to connect themselves like dots in her head at an alarming rate. The worst part of it all was that she had been the target of his affections, and it was only finding out too late, trapped beneath the love struck animal, that it was more than just friendship he sought.

He was too heavy to shove, pressing his weight down on her with a possessive growl. If she didn't do something, things were going to escalate quickly, and not in her favor. With a grunt of effort, she attempted to twist into a roll to pull herself out from under him, but her efforts were blocked by sharp teeth digging into her collarbone.

"Danny, get off!"

She screamed, pounding against his scaly chest, legs flailing to kick him off but to no avail. Instead it only seemed to aid in the mer's assault as fins snagged against the strings of her bikini, tearing off the last bit of protection she had. The fear that had blossomed in her gut grew into a swelling mass of dread as she could feel the throbbing length brush against her thighs, unsheathed from its hidden slit amidst the mer's loins; where the scales grew small and soft. Wide eyed, her fear continued to grow into a full blown horror as the mer stilled, teeth brushing over flesh as the tip of his length found the entrance it was seeking. Fins flaring, he shifted into position before fangs sunk into her neck as he thrust into her.

Sam could do nothing but scream…

 


	15. Transformante

Chapter 15

Transformante

Everything hurt. From the cuts, bruises and scrapes, to the torn ache deep within her loins. It was a feeling she couldn't shake, instilled within her bones and leaving her filled with dread, fear, and misery. Knees giving out on her, Sam slid down the wall she'd been leaning upon, unable to muster anymore strength to continue down the dark and empty halls.

It was long after closing before she'd stumbled out of the mer's enclosure. Able to drag herself away from the sea beast in his slumber, curled up in the shallows where everything had spiraled out of control. It was only upon the clicking of the door, that the mer had awoken, aware that the human he loved had slipped away, leaving him calling out for her.

She could still ear his howls echoing down the corridor, but she dared not answer them, let alone return. She doubted she could ever go near the creature again, less she faced a repeat experience, forced to live out that nightmare again. She refused it. Head in her hands, she cried, unawares of the footsteps drawing near.

"Samantha?"

Sam jumped at the sound of the voice. Whipping around to find the source of her address, she came face to face with none other than Vladimir Masters. He stood there, worry etched into his features, holding a flashlight in one hand. It took her eyes a minute to adjust to clearly see him in the dim.

"Are you alright, dear girl?" his words were laced with concern that didn't reach his eyes, not that the visibly shaken woman could notice in her state.

In truth, the tears had stared to flow freely as she sat there, desperate for comfort from whatever ordeal she'd experienced. Though he knew full well what had occurred within these walls, having watched from the shadows, pleased that his plan was playing out successfully. Now it was just a matter of enacting the next part, and with the poor girl completely unaware of the true source of her discomfort, it would be an easy feat.

"Come now, let's get you cleaned up," He kneeled down to her level, letting the goth cry into his shoulder as he held her in a much needed embrace.

Had she been in the right mindset, she probably would of questioned what the billionaire was doing, skulking about the halls in the dead of night. After all, the man had supposedly been out hunting a rogue whale with her uncle. But as it was, her only thoughts were on seeking comfort from the living nightmare she'd just experienced. Thus she put up no resistance when the man scooped her up into his arms and carried her away from the wails of the beast hidden within.

At some point she'd fallen asleep, though she couldn't recall when, only remembering the soft warmth of blankets wrapped around her. Perhaps it had all been some terrible dream after all, a figment of her worries compiled with a vivid imagination. She'd probably had to discuss her concerns with her uncle later; that perhaps it was time to finally set the dark mer free.

Yet there was something off that she couldn't place; the hum of buzzing in her ears, repeating in a soft tone that echoed the beat of her heart. Eyes fluttering open, she tried to find the source of the disturbance; probably her roommates alarm going off; except it wasn't her room that graced her vision.

White walls surrounded her where she lay, bundled up in a mix of white sheets, the beeping sound coming from the heart monitor off to her left. _So it wasn't a dream then…_ She turned her head to examine her surroundings further. The only thing of interest in the white washed out room was the painting on the far wall. A lighthouse on a rocky shore. There also were no windows to peer out of, giving her no recollection of where she was aside from the scent of antiseptic that hung heavy in the air.

A hospital of some sort, she concluded, suspicions confirmed as a nurse wandered in, checking over her vitals without a word.

The nurse seemed an uptight woman, graying hair pulled back into a tight bun and lips pursed in a thin line. Overall she seemed the type that was short and to the point and not one to cross, but Sam was willing to take the risk if it gave some insight into where she currently was.

"Um, excuse me, but where am I?" her inquiry resulted in the expected scowl, the nurse narrowing her eyes at her.

"Axion Labs. Mr. Masters insisted on you receiving only the best treatment…"

Sam frowned at the response, watching the woman take to jotting down a few stats upon her clipboard, "But Axion isn't a hospital."

"You're in our medical bay. Mr. Masters figured you'd appreciate this not hitting your insurance bill. Now are we done playing twenty questions?" The nurse huffed, leaving no room for further argument.

"How kind of him…," Sam just grumbled in turn, flopping her head back down upon her pillow as the nurse set about replacing the IV bag before leaving the goth alone to her thoughts.

It didn't take long for her to start feeling sleepy again, probably the result of whatever else was inside of the drip they were giving her. At least she was someplace warm and safe. While it seemed the nightmare she'd faced had indeed been a reality that left her world turned upside down, she could only hope that it wouldn't plague her dreams. Her mind slowly drifting off into unconsciousness.

"So, how'd it go?" Vlad mused, focused on a sample under the microscope before him. Two clusters of cells, one group slowly encompassing and consuming the others. He'd jotted down his findings upon a nearby piece of paper before waving the nurse over. She handed over her clipboard, which the billionaire readily accepted, stepping out of the way to let her take his place in studying the sample as he read over her notes.

"She talks too much, sir."

He just hummed in agreement, thumbing over the statistics. He knew full well how vocal Samantha could be, from her protests against animal cruelty, to her avid distrust in him when it came to the jet black mer. Then again, she had every right to be, albeit unawares as to how right she was.

"And the hormones?"

"I was successful in administering them through the IV, though I expect it'll be a few weeks before we see any real progress."

"Noted. You may go," he dismissed her, setting down the papers and returning to his observations under the microscope. In only the few moments of conversation, the sample had changed dramatically, all the cells had merged into one unique cluster, different from the two that had originally been in front of him, "There may be more progress than we expect."

He stared down at the sample in contemplative thought, rubbing over his goatee. From what he'd deduced with the help of the agents O and K, mermian pregnancy lasted anywhere between one to six months depending on the breed. As it was, the dark mer wasn't a breed familiar with the ones they studied in New Zealand, thus the time frame could be anywhere within those six months. Yet here in front of him, the mutation rate of the goth's cells revealed that they would start seeing dramatic changes both in her and the development of the baby far sooner than expected. Either way it was a sign that she was indeed pregnant with his precious hybrid. Now it was just a matter of tying up loose ends and keeping his hold on the child to be.

Nathaniel had found it rather odd when Sam didn't come in to work the next day, though not particularly unusual. He'd garnered she was busy for the day, just as he'd been out late the night before in search of a rather elusive whale. They hadn't found what they were looking for, but Vlad helped lighten the mood, comparing it to the story of _Moby Dick_. He just chuckled at the memory before heading off to work.

Though things did not remain so lighthearted after the third day, standing by the water's edge with a bucket of fish, watching a downcast mer sulking in the shallow end of the pool. Danny had been calling out endlessly when he'd arrived the first morning back and had leapt up in excitement when he'd first opened the door. Though upon seeing the redheaded scientist instead of the goth, the dark mer seemed to slump in disappointment, and had remained that way since. The silence that hung over the exhibit was depressing, and the unusual behavior the mer displayed only left a growing worry for what happened and where she could have gone.

His fears were realized when G.I.W. showed up later that afternoon, informing him of Sam's critical condition at the claws of the jet black mer. It had been quite the shock, seeing as Danny had shown nothing but affection towards his niece. The growing worry hung with an air of anxiety as his mind mulled over the possibilities. He had warned her that their aquatic friend was coming into season. Had the mer harmed her as a result? Seeing as she was the only female that he knew, regardless of species? He could feel himself going pale at the mere thought.

"Is… she going to be ok….?" His voice nearly broke as the words escaped him, struggling to form a coherent sentence in his shock.

Oliver could only shake his head with a soft smile, trying to assure the frightened man, "We're not entirely sure. Hopefully the hospital will know more, we're just here for him."

The two agents gestured over towards the main exhibit, making their intentions clear that they were here to collect custody over the jet black mer. The creature had hurt someone within the center, which fell under the biologist's fault, even more so with the guilt that it was his niece whom he'd allowed to grow so attached. In many ways he had as well, despite its intolerance of his presence. But the fact still remained that it had harmed her and would likely do the same to others just as grievously. Thus he reluctantly agreed, hoping that they'd have better facilities to prevent such from happening again. His poor dear Samantha, what would her parents, his brother think when they found out he'd let such harm befall her. Where had it all gone wrong?

He watched in silence as the agents set to work, trying to prod the mer into the crate provided. Said mer was pitching a fit, tail lashing out as eyes flashed a dangerous shade of green. It screeched, lunging at them, teeth bared in an animalistic snarl.

"Careful now! The SOA is active!" Kyle warned, prodding the beast's tail with a metal rod, effectively distracting it from his coworker. Oliver in turn, danced over to the other side, giving a shove with his own rod, the mer hissing, trying to determine who made the easier target as it was backed closer to the crate.

"SOA?" Nate blinked, unable to help his scientific curiosity despite the situation.

"Sudden Onset Aggression. It's what the diagnoses came back as… Yikes!" Kyle yelped, narrowly avoiding a side swipe from the mer's claws. Oliver was quick to shift the mer's attention onto himself, tapping his pole upon the concrete. "We were going to email you the test results. Though that was before we were contacted by your partner about the incident. So we figured we needed to speak to you in person."

"Vlad knows about this?"

"Mhm. From what we garnered, he was the one who found her," O chimed in, tapping at the mer's tail. It responded as expected, whirling around to lunge at him, closing a bit more distance between them and the box.

"Watch that tail! He'll take your legs out!"

"On it!"

Danny was having none of it. While he'd tolerated these two before on Sam's behest, she was not there to console him, nor was he about to allow these strangers to shove him inside some wooden box. Fangs bared, he snarled, raising his hackles in an aggressive warning display. They disregarded it entirely, taking to prodding him with metal poles, trying to edge him towards the crate and away from the safety of the water.

One of them whacked him in the side, nearly forcing the air out of him. He hissed in pain as his vision blurred, lunging out at the offending probe, trying to tear into it. However his teeth could not sink into the metal bar, giving him little resistance as it was twisted out of his jaws, knocking him over.

The sudden vulnerability caused something to snap in him, eyes narrowing into slits as he glowered at the offending sticks and their wielders. He was quick to right himself, guarding his exposed underbelly and snarling with a newfound ferocity. Swinging round, Danny brought his tail about trying to knock the men off their feet, but they were quick to scatter and come back around, jabbing at him from behind.

He screamed, lunging at the offending probes without a care as to who or what he bit down upon, so long as it got them away. Catching sight of the blond man to his side, he swung at him, fins flared with a hiss when he missed and the agent darted off to the other side. They continued to harass him, pushing him farther back from the water's edge and unknowingly closer to box meant to capture him. By the time he realized it, the haze of aggression was starting to ebb and the rods no longer prodded him from behind. Turning to find out why, he found that he was inside of the damned container and by the time he'd whipped back around to escape, the entrance was gone, the door having been slid closed. He was trapped.

Nate continued to watch the two scientists dance, rounding up the unruly mer. While he regretted letting the creature go, he knew there wasn't much he could do. While he'd accepted the scars on his hand as a result of his own folly, perhaps it had been a mistake letting Sam become so close with a creature they truly knew very little about. He doubted he could ever forgive himself now that she had suffered for his naiveté. At the very least, the mer would be safe in the hands of those that could properly care for it.

Overall the recovery had been a swift one. Despite the mer's aggression, it had only been a mild streak of what could have been. The agents were able to successfully box up the mer after only about an hour or two and were ready for transport soon after. They gave their goodbyes, leaving the young man lost in his thoughts.

The large exhibit just seemed so empty now…

Vlad raised a brow at the buzzing sound of his phone going off. While he did carry a cell on his person, very few knew his number, let alone called him directly. He'd grown used to waving his secretary away whenever he received some uninteresting sap on the other end of the line, not interested in taking the call.

"The audacity…" He growled, pulling the infernal thing out of his pocket to glower at the caller ID. The name that stared back at him caused him to falter from his original intent of hollering at the offender. Instead he huffed, knowing he had to humor the worried man, "Why Mr. Manson, I was beginning to wonder when you'd call!"

His silken words held every air of sympathy, but it would have fallen as sarcasm if the scientist could see his face. The sneer was evident upon his lips.

"I got a bit held up…. The G.I.W. came by to take Danny back to their facility in New Zealand... Is Sam alright? I heard you were the one to find her. I've been worried sick!"

"….The poor girl will live, but I doubt she'll be the same again. She's just come out surgery for the third time. They won't let me in to see her yet," Vlad sighed, letting the lie hang in the air for a moment to add an uncomfortable silence.

"Which hospital?"

The billionaire could hear the urgency in Nate's voice, but he chose to ignore the question all together, "I'll call you when she's allowed to have visitors."

"Vlad! Wh-"

He hung up the phone, shutting it off for good measure. He couldn't have the man interfering with his plans so soon, especially at such a crucial point as this. In truth he hadn't intended on keeping the girl, perfectly willing to grow the hybrid child in a test tube if need be. But that was before the goth showed signs of mutation. He set the phone to the side, uninterested now that he was certain there wouldn't be any more unexpected calls. His attention instead shifting towards the sounds of the sliding doors, granting access for much more pressing matters.

The two agents had returned from their mission successfully if the tempest of sound was anything to go by. Followed by a few other men, they hauled the crate into the lab, faces worn and trying to ignore the ruckus coming from within their precious cargo. Vlad just grinned smugly at this victory, gesturing towards the nearby holding tank for them to deposit their catch.

"You've done well. Nathaniel thinks you're halfway to the airport by now. Though I still wonder why you had to give out the information that I was the one to find her…" He ground out the last few words, emphasizing that they just put the entire mission in jeopardy. O grimaced, whereas K just shrugged with no concern for the matter.

"Didn't seem too concerning, just casual reasoning for us taking that angry beast," K gave a pointed look towards the billionaire, "At least you have all the pieces for this precious set."

"Indeed…." Vlad scowled, not keen on ruining his partnership with the two scientists so soon; they still had the most information as far as maintaining the valuable creature's health. Instead he turned his attention towards the tank, watching the men release their captive into its contents.

The mer tumbled out with a shriek, angry and disoriented it darted about the cage, slamming into the walls in its confusion. Though it didn't take long for it to orient itself in the smaller enclosure, gaze finding them on the other side of the glass. Eyes blazing with an animalistic fury it snarled, pupils narrowing into slits that glowered at them with a predatory focus that left some of the men shifting uneasily on their feet. Vlad ignored the murmurs and nervous chatter, matching the creatures gaze whilst it lunged at the glass, determined to tear him apart.

"Hello Daniel," the businessman mused, undeterred by the unintelligible snarl; the mer still ramming against the glass, "I think I remember telling you from the beginning that I always get what I want, and here you are. Why the poor girl you hurt so grievously practically handed you to me. I doubt she wants to even speak to you again for what you've done, you foolish creature."

Danny hissed, sliding down the glass having exhausted himself. His gills flared, trying to pull in more oxygen from the surrounding water, but it felt stagnant, devoid of the air he needed. Instinctively he rose to the surface, gasping for breath once he broke through. Yet his own exhaustion left his own weight a burden, hands clawing at the glass to hold himself up in need of much needed air. He barely registered the man's words, too desperate to keep his head above water, but he faltered upon hearing he'd hurt Sam; sinking down along the tank wall until his lungs reminded him of the much required need to breath.

Vlad smirked, watching the mer struggle, hands in his pockets as if it was a casual display.

"What have you done?" Oliver narrowed his eyes, uncertain of what to think about the unusual behavior. It seemed something was wrong with the water, as the mer could not breathe.

"Simply oxygen starved water, and given his exhaustion, it makes for an easier means of persuasion," he turned back to observing.

The mer continued to struggle for a few more minutes before slumping down at the bottom of the tank, hands clutching over his gills. He writhed about, looking like he was going to twist himself in knots before collapsing, breathing shallow. Eyes glazed over, Danny pressed a weary hand against the glass as if begging for it stop, knowing that the billionaire was behind his pain.

A dark mirth flickered within the man's eyes as he approached the glass, "I know you can understand me, thanks to young Samantha. So listen, and listen well, Daniel. You will obey me, otherwise I shall not be so forgiving in the future."

He smirked, eyeing how the mer's ear-fins lowered in understanding before he turned his attention to a small control pad off to the side. A few buttons and the flip of a switch, the tank's pumps activated, cycling the water and giving way for much needed oxygen. Danny gasped for breath once the oxygen reached him, gills flared, trying to make up for lost time. His gaze focused in on the billionaire, whose fingers still hovered over the controls, as if daring him to challenge his authority. He lowered his head, understanding the threat for what it was and that this cruel man was more than capable and willing to torture him into submission.

Sam awoke once more to the repetitive rhythm of the heart monitor, accompanied with a throbbing pain that pounded in her skull and through her limbs. Though unlike the headache that graced her, the rest of her body felt as though it was on fire, snagging at the sheets and prickling underneath her skin. She groaned, writhing in the blankets that bound her. Everything ached with uncomfortable pang, leaving her shuddering awake.

Bringing a hand up to rub her temples, she could feel the cold sweat running down her brow. A fever, she garnered, wondering how she'd grown so ill. Another grown escaped her as she ran her fingers down her face, wishing that the headache would at least subside, and perhaps a glass of water to quench her thirst. However, the sensation brushing through her fingertips left her frozen halfway through the motions. The sight that greeted her upon further examination of her hands, left a scream escaping her lips.

Her screams brought the attention of a nearby nurse and a few others into the room to aid her, however they all were left gawking at the sight that left the girl so shaken. Scales littered her skin, all along her arms and down to her finger tips. They dotted every inch of visible skin; small and half formed, ranging from the soft peachy color of her skin, to faded shades of blue and purple, reminiscent of a potent bruise.

It wasn't long after the others had arrived that Vlad made his way into the room, pausing for only a moment to take in her appearance. He then turned to directing the others, pulling them out of their stupor and to the girl's aid.

"You, get a bucket of salt water. We need as many clean towels as you can get. Nurse, I need, stat," He ordered, bringing himself over to her bedside as the rest of the staff took to prepping everything that was needed.

He had to stop himself from grinning in glee, pushing the urge down and attempting to comfort her. It seemed the journal was right about the possibility of transformation. That the carrying of a hybrid child would result in a mutation within the mother/host to better care for its needs. Now it was a matter of documenting the speed and duration that the transformation would take.

Resting a hand upon her shoulder, Vlad smiled softly, hoping to calm the frightened woman, "Easy now. Breathe. It's going to be ok."

The nurses were quick to file back in, setting about covering her legs with damp towels and cloths soaked in salt water. The smell was quick to fill the room, but Sam wasn't paying it any attention; not to the sounds that pounded in her overly sensitive ears, nor the burning sensation being soothed away. Her focus solely on her hands, opening and closing her fingers, watching as a slick and sticky membrane slowly bound them together into webbed pads.

Her gaze shifted shakily up to the billionaire sitting beside her, trying to find solace in those cold gray eyes, "What's happening to me…?"

"I wish I knew…," the lie slid effortlessly from his lips, waiting for the light to dim from her eyes as the sedative took effect, forcing her back into sleep.

 


	16. Finding Sam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MATURE CONTENT WARNING!!! READERS BE WARNED!!!

Chapter 16

Finding Sam

 

Valery Gray sat uneasily, twiddling her thumbs upon one of the campus’s many park benches. She’d hardly spend half an hour in with the financial specialist; going over her options if she chose not to accept the check Mr. Masters had so ‘generously’ given her. The guilt had eaten away at her, along with her current driving worry to the point where she’d cancelled her appointment halfway through, making up an excuse that something had come up and that she would have to reschedule.   
She was certain that she’d embarked some great evil upon her friend, despite the situation going well over her head. All she knew was that she’d been played and that the nefarious plot that was aimed at Sam involved the billionaire and the jet black mer. It left her coffee tasting foul, thus left forgotten next to where she sat, fidgeting and uncertain of what to do.   
Her boyfriend, Tucker, had been lucky. Considering he’d been unconscious for most of his kidnapping, she was able to play off the whole thing as some vivid dream induced by his over indulgence in his new video game. He was speculative at first, though the more the techno geek mulled it over, the more it seemed to make sense. Thus he agreed to take a break from the game, instead picking up another once, an old classic he claimed, called Doom III. Val cared not for the details.   
She looked up from her hands as she picked up on passing conversation. A small group of students from one of the science clubs; she could tell by the badges on their sleeves; were complaining about the latest class cancellation. While it wasn’t unusual for instructors to cancel a class for the day if they needed to call out sick, the class in mention pulled her attention instantly. It was the interactive marine biology course offered by Sam’s uncle, Nathaniel.   
She remembered the class had picked up a few weeks ago with the start of the spring semester, leaving quite a line in its wake for signups. She’d been quite surprised when Sam hadn’t signed up for the course and when asked, the answer did make sense. The goth spent enough time at the aquatic center as it was, plus it had been a haven for her away from class. Thus it had been a bit much to expect all aspects of her life to revolve around school. While it was understandable that Sam needed a break, her uncle was another matter. The man loved teaching as much as he did interacting with the wild world. For him to just cancel his class out of the blue left an unpleasant chill up her spine.   
It didn’t help her anxiety with the fact that Sam hadn’t shown up to class that Monday. Her fear was almost a panic when the absences continued for the rest of the week. The goth hadn’t even shown up at their room.   
Val darted off not long after that, not interested in the rest of the conversation. Her feet carried her in hasty strides off towards the downtown aquarium. Something was very wrong, and she feared she’d been part of the reason why.   
The aquarium was its usual hustle and bustle, people coming and going, staring at the exhibits in awe and wonder; children pointing at the glass with curious expressions. What got her attention right off the bat was the corridor that had originally been closed off from view. The one that led to the main exhibit that housed the jet black mer. Such a dramatic change, where they’d originally been determined to keep the mythical sea beast a secret, and yet there it was open for all to see. The only thing that struck her as odd, was the lack of conversation pertaining to the aquarium’s mystery resident. Perhaps they’d moved him? It all just left alarm bells buzzing with the others in her skull.   
The African American teen pushed her way through the crowds, seeking out entry into the backrooms. She needed to speak with the elder Manson, and it left a sense of urgency in her stride. However, just like the first time, she was met with locked doors barring her way. A scowl crossed her lips before she banged on the doors, uncaring if she caused a scene. If anything, the attention of the staff would help her find whom she was looking for.   
“Can I help you with something?”  
Val startled at the voice that greeted her. Whilst she’d wanted to gain some form of attention, the calmness in which she was confronted threw her off balance. It was far from the aggressive approach she’d prepared for. Whipping around, she prepared to yell at them, demanding for the location of the redheaded biologist, only to once again be thrown off kilter by the face that greeted mer.   
“You!”  
“Me?”   
None other than Nathaniel Manson stood before her. The man looked worse for wear, his hair disheveled and dark bags under his eyes told that he hadn’t slept in days. His clothes a wrinkled mess, with old coffee stains from shaky hands, telling that he hadn’t taken the time to change, let alone rest. Overall, he looked more of a mess than she did.  
He eyed her for a long moment of scrutiny before his expression softened, taking to adjusting his glasses whilst he spoke, “You’re Samantha’s roommate, yes?”  
She nodded, “Have you seen her? She hasn’t been to school all week.”  
Something in her voice seemed to light a spark in the biologist’s eyes. Giving a quick glance around them for onlookers, he swiped his keycard and ushered her into the backrooms.   
“This way,” he gestured for her to follow him down the hall.   
The two of them remained silent during the rest of the traverse to his office. Nate refused to initiate any conversation till he’d closed the doors, keeping a wary lookout as if he was expecting someone to drop in on them. In the dim of the office light, the scientist appeared worn, filled with a similar anxiety that she felt. He slumped into one of the armchairs, a defeated look about him as he cupped his face in his hands.   
“I haven’t been able to find her. She was hurt pretty badly and Mr. Masters had taken her to the hospital…”  
“She’s in the hospital?!” Valery gasped, mind reeling over a number of frightful scenarios. Was the mer at fault for her harm; and what of the conniving billionaire taking her there, with everything he seemed to want from the goth. It was a nerve-racking mystery, fueled further by the biologist’s words.   
“Or so I thought…. I’ve checked every hospital in this town over into the next county… The police aren’t helpful, Vlad won’t answer his phone and Sam’s was left in the enclosure…. Oh this is all my fault…” he trailed off, looking absolutely miserable.   
Val had to sigh, stopping Nate from pulling out his hair. It seemed he felt just as guilty if not more so than she did. But now was not the time to be wallowing in self-pity, after all, it wasn’t going to help them find Sam. She was still out there, and needed their help.   
“We’ll find her Mr. Manson.”  
“You think so?” his voice wavered, barely above an audible whisper. It took everything she had to pull herself together, trying to stand strong for the two of them.  
“I know so,” she put a reassuring hand upon his shoulder, “When was the last time you spoke with either Sam, or Mr. Masters?”  
While she was no detective; that was her father’s job, had been since before she was born; she’d promised herself that she’d do everything within her power to make up for her mistakes. The first step was finding her friend, Nathaniel’s niece. Taking down notes, Val jotted any usable information the man provided upon a spare notepad he’d offered her. It wasn’t much to work with, at least not on her own standpoint, but it was at least something to work with.  
“Nine days is a bit of a stretch, but there’s a chance we can still make use of it,” She tapped her pen against her chin in thought, “Did you use a cell phone to make the call?”  
Nate looked at her questioningly, but nodded anyway, pulling out the said device from his pocket for her to examine. She took it, scrolling through the recent calls until she found the one that matched the date in question. It was near the bottom of the cache’s list, showing just how many times the man had called out in search of her. It left a sad smile on her lips, knowing her father would likely have done the same if it was her. She set it down upon the table along with her notes, taking out her own phone and dialing out.  
“What are you doing?”  
“Calling in backup,” Val smirked before turning her attention to the dial tone, “Hello, Tucker? Yes. I need you to gather up your gear. We’ve got another job.”  
The redheaded scientist could practically hear the groan coming from the other end of the line.   
“No, I don’t care if you’re in the middle of a boss fight on level whatever! This is a matter of life and death,” she hissed before her features went stony, a look of seriousness settling upon her face and into her voice, “….Sam’s in trouble.”  
There was silence on the other end of the line before the boy, dubbed Tucker, spoke up again. An air of finality in his voice carried out into the room, “Where are you?”  
“The Aquatics Center, downtown.”  
“I’ll be right over,” the click of the phone hanging up was the last sound that graced them. Valery hung up not long after, nodding appreciatively before pocketing the device. Nate just gave her an incredulous stare, as if trying to figure out who or what that was all about. She just grinned in turn, a glint of mischief returning to her eyes.  
“It helps to have a techno geek for a boyfriend with expert level hacking skills.”

______________________________________________ 

Sam stirred, blinking blearily at the bright lights that shown down upon her. With a grumble, she tried to sit up, only to find that she couldn’t move. Eyes snapping open, she gave her arms and legs a tug, finding them strapped down to cold hard steel. Upon further examination she found her predicament was far worse than just being strapped down onto a lab table.   
The scales that had started to form were now full and flush against her skin, skin that was fully exposed in all her naked grandeur. Her legs had also bound to one another, seeming to have all but melded together into a long scaly tail, her feet all but gone, stretched out into long flowing fins. She couldn’t help but scream, struggling against the binds that held her, desperate to escape.   
“Now, now Samantha. That won’t do. You could hurt yourself, and you’re upsetting our guest.”  
She froze at the sound of the familiar voice. She knew it could only belong to one man, with such a sly, silky tone that left her feeling grimy like motor oil. Vladimir Masters stood over her, downed in a white lab coat and with malicious smirk upon his lips. The look in his eyes only made her feel more exposed than she already was.  
He pointed off across the room, her eyes following his outstretched hand to their apparent guest. Green met lavender, and she was left staring at none other than the jet black mer. In truth Danny looked just as frightened as she was, form shaking and ear-fins low, trapped in a tank too small for him to really get around. Guilt seemed to accompany that fear as he took in the sight of the mutation that racked her body. He didn’t stare for long, unable to hold her gaze. He only turned back when the man moved forward, running a hand along Sam’s abdomen.   
She flinched, trying to pull away from the invasive hands that ran along her skin, fondling her breasts and teasing her sides. But her struggles were in vain, as she remained bound to the table below her, spread for the whole world to see and unwillingly open to the violating intentions of the man trapping her here.   
Vlad ignored her discomfort, taking to kissing over her neck and collarbone as he ran his hands down along her sides. A thumb massaging over her breasts, a bit disappointed that the scales had covered them over, but relishing their feeling regardless.   
“It seems you’re mutation has developed exponentially faster than our expectations. So it seems it is now useless to try and hide it from you any longer, after all you’ve made such a beautiful mer,” He kissed over her breasts, sucking on one of them between words, “I can’t help but wonder if this transformation is permanent. As it is, I’m curious of the offspring you’ll produce. I’d so want one to be my own.”  
Sam squirmed, wishing to break free of his ministrations; the billionaire pulling himself up to sit atop of her hips, rocking slowly. She turned her head away, tears welling up in her eyes, biting her lip in attempts to stop herself from crying but to no avail. Her distress wasn’t completely ignored, as the screech of the dark mer reached her ears, the sea beast ramming against the glass.   
Vlad frowned up at the mer with a raised brow. Said mer simply snarled, baring his fangs and continuing to ram against the glass. At least he did until the billionaire lay a hovering hand dangerously above the keypad controlling the small tank’s environment.   
“Tut, tut, tut. That won’t do, Daniel. Must I remind you of what happens should you bare your fangs at me again?” He set his sights upon the dark mer with a glower, daring the beast to continue with its challenge.   
Danny in turn swiped at the glass floor, baring his fangs full with a hiss. His fins were flared in a full challenge, a warning that out on the open sea meant he’d kill the offender if they didn’t leave his mate be. Vlad wouldn’t have any of it, flipping the switch upon the panel, starting the reverse osmosis, draining away the water’s precious oxygen. It wasn’t long till he had the mer writhing about the bottom of the tank, unable to breathe.   
Sam watched the onslaught with absolute horror etched upon her features, almost unable to bear the sight of what she’d considered a friend being tortured before her very eyes. Once again she struggled, crying out for it to stop, “Please! No! Stop it! Let him go!!”  
He paid her no heed, focused on the mer. He waited another minute or two before switching the flow, watching as the sea beast visibly relaxed, trying to catch its breath.  
“Are you done, Daniel?”  
Danny in turn, groaned. He so wished to tear the billionaire apart but could do nothing against the man’s control over the very oxygen he breathed, let alone break the thick glass that trapped him there. He was stuck, forced to watch the bastard violate his mate and potentially lay seed to his own offspring inside her. It left a sickening feeling in his stomach, slowly burning away at him.   
Vlad just smirked, satisfied with himself as he pulled away, ignoring the sobs coming from the goth turned mer. He righted himself once he’d gotten down from the table, refastening his belt with an audible snap of the connecting clasps. He then took to washing off his hands in a nearby sink, fixing up his hair before returning, snapping on a pair of rubber gloves. Sam refused to look at him.   
“Come now, Samantha. You’ll need to pay attention for this,” He chided, forcing her gaze up to look him in the eyes with a tilt of her chin, “After all, we’re about to start the next part of your appointment.”  
Sam couldn’t help but eye him fearfully as he pulled out a bottle of some sort of gel, spreading a dollop of it across her stomach. She shuddered under the cold touch, not wanting the man’s hands anywhere nears her. They thankfully didn’t remain there for long, replaced instead with a soft probe that ran along her skin, spreading the gel as it went. She watched it hesitantly uncertain as to what it was, only that the billionaire’s attention was focused on a screen off to the left.   
Gather up the courage, she dared herself to look over towards the screen that held his attention so, eyes going wide when she realized it for what it was. An ultrasound. Her mind reeled, frightened with the prospect of what it meant. The probe still gliding across her skin.   
“Come on now, where are you…?” Vlad hummed to himself, searching for the rhythm of a little heart. Upon finding it, he adjusted the focus onscreen to try and clarify the image, “There you are little one.”  
All pairs of eyes shifted to the image on screen. Even the jet black mer, though unfamiliar with the screen, could see the picture for what it was, ears picking up on the amplified sounds of the soft heartbeat. There in front of them was the image of a little beating heart, not much larger than a pea. The heart of Sam’s child, nestled deeply within her womb. 

________________________________________

“That was fast… If only you were that quick when I asked for help with the dishes…”  
“Oh, har, har,” Tucker scowled over at his girlfriend whilst dumping out the contents of his pack upon the table; two laptops, three PDAs, and a number of wires, cords, connectors, and other electronic contraptions littered the table.  
Nate just stared dumbstruck as the two teens set about sorting and prepping the equipment, turning his shabby office into what he could only describe as something out of a science fiction movie. Cords wove about the floor, bouncing between equipment, feeding information back and forth from the central hub that was the techno geek’s laptops. It was almost too much to take in all at once, not even picking up on much of the conversation that bantered between them.  
“How’d you even get in here anyways?”  
“I asked nicely.”  
“…Whatever.”  
“So, what have we got?” Tucker ignored her snipping, focused on his setup and the screen display before him.   
Valery huffed, getting back to business and tossing him Nate’s phone, “One call, about nine days back. Phone contacted is either off or dead. Can you work with that?”  
“Should be. Can’t exactly trace it to its exact location, but I can find out which towers the call signal bounced from,” He caught the phone, hooking it up to one of the devices before typing away.  
The practiced speed and grace in which the two teens worked had Nate blinking, glasses nearly sliding off the edge of his nose. It was clear from the ease in which they worked that they’d done this song and dance before, but he couldn’t comprehend why or how. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know. One thing was clear was that whatever they were doing was to help him find his niece.  
“So what are we doing exactly?” his curiosity had gotten the better of him.   
The two of them didn’t even bat an eye at his reaction. Tucker’s attention still focused on the screen as he spoke, fingers moving in rapt succession over the keys, “I’m tracing your last call in order to pinpoint the closest proximity that it had come from.”  
“In other words, you had mentioned that Vlad claimed he was with her at the hospital the time that you called,” Val used air quotes upon saying hospital, “If we can find the closest cell tower that the call connected from, we can find the general are in which to start our search.”  
The redheaded scientist nodded at the clarification, albeit somewhat uncertain over the matter. It was still better than nothing. Valery in turn jut nodded, looking over at her boyfriend for confirmation. Tucker nodded his affirmation, continuing to type away at the keyboard.  
“It’s easier if the call is in progress, considering I can get a more accurate origin point whilst in real time. But I can still dig through the backlogs to find a relevant source,” he shifted to the other computer, eye never leaving his screens, “And there….. I got it! The last tower accessed was this one, number 1768HD12.  
Both onlookers peered over the techno geek’s shoulder to get a better view of the screen. Tucker highlighted the area around the designated tower for better clarification, “The call could of originated from anywhere in this perimeter.”  
His girlfriend narrowed her eyes at the screen, trying to decipher it further, “Can’t you narrow it down a bit? That’s a lot of ground to cover.”  
“Can’t. Not with how old the call is. I can only pull up a relative log of how far the tower reaches and go from there,” he frowned, clicking in to zoom over the surrounding area.  
“We may not have to,” Nate cut in, reaching over the two of them to point out a location on screen, “There, on the waterfront by the marina.”  
“Axion Labs,” Tucker frowned, zooming in on the mentioned facility.  
“It’s owned by Dalv Industries, isn’t it? What makes you think they’re there?” Val frowned, scratching her chin in thought. Then it clicked in her mind, earning a mass of screaming and curses as she flung her purse across the room in her anger, “Son of a bitch!”  
“What?”  
“Tucker. What is Dalv spelled backwards?!”  
He paused for a moment to think about it before face-palming, wondering how such a simple detail had slipped him by. Nate himself couldn’t help but chuckle despite himself. It was true that Axion was one of the many businesses in the billionaire’s corporate empire. It was also the only probable company the man owned that was within range of this particular cell tower; the others being small distributors and an out of place coffee shop, none of which seemed suitable for a hostage situation.   
“She has to be there….” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. He silently prayed that he was right, even if he wished that none of this was real.  
“Well, that’s all swell and good, but how do we get in? The place is crawling with security,” a scowl worked its way to the dark woman’s brows as she crossed her arms in thought. It wasn’t like some warehouse or shop that could be easily broken into via bypassing a few locks, Axion was a laboratory. Laboratories had top of the line security, from key pass locks to sentry guards. This wasn’t going to be easy.  
“I could see about making us fake access cards, though there’s no guarantee that it would work…” her boyfriend pondered aloud.  
“Wait. I almost forgot about it,” Nate snapped his fingers, wandering over to his drawers and beginning to dig through them. The two teens stared on inquisitively, curious to what he had as a solution.   
“Forgot what?”  
“This!” the biologist grinned, successfully fishing a small black card out form its hiding place. It looked like an elaborate club card with the decorative pattern in the corner, looking similar to a ‘V’.  
“Considering that Mr. Masters and I are business partners, he gave me this. It’s able to access a number of his facilities in case he required assistance in any of his work. Though he never has and over the years it was put aside and forgotten, so I’ve never used it. I’m not sure if it still works, though,” he offered it for them to inspect, the techno geek eyeing it suspiciously.   
“Give me a second,” Tucker took the card, looking it over thoroughly before inserting it into one of the many devices upon the desk. A few minutes into him clicking away he relaxed a bit, deeming the card uninfected and thus safe to search through.   
He dug away at the coding, pulling up hidden folders and verifying a number of certificates and serials within. But after a few moments he seemed to pause in his work, eyeing the screen suspiciously. While it was clear the card itself wasn’t bugged, the coding seemed too simple, too easy to break. That including the sheer number of access codes available for possible use was extremely suspicious. Why would the billionaire give out such easily accessed security information?   
A few clicks later and he realized the reason why, catching sight of the figures hidden just beneath the surface of the original code. It left Tucker cursing under his breath. There, hidden from the untrained eye was a receiving signal that fed back to its original program, something that was triggered the moment he’d accessed the files and was continuing to monitor his every move and change he made to its programming.  
“Well shit…”  
“What happened-what’s wrong?” both spectators spoke in unison, phrasing their concern at his distress.   
“Well, he already knows we’re coming…. Or that someone is attempting to access his security,” the techno geek frowned, adjusting his glasses.  
“What?! How?!”   
Tucker cringed at his companion’s shriek, her hands slamming upon the desk. Nate had taken a step to the other side to avoid the tantrum, though the worry was etched heavily into his features.   
“Can you elaborate?” the biologist’s voice shook, despite his attempts to remain calm. He feared for his niece, and the boiling sense of betrayal was starting to dig at his insides. Just what else had this man hidden from him, snuck by him, and cheated him out of?  
“While the security certificates are present, opening the files to activate any of them tripped a safety feature,” the techno geek frowned, typing away at the keyboard again, “Its activates a monitoring program from its original source code, keeping tabs on what is modified and feeding back which facilities we’re trying to access.”  
“So in other words the bastard is going to be two steps ahead of us,” Valery growled out, crossing her arms.   
“Not necessarily. I can scramble and encode some of the information, along with modifying multiple certificates. The program itself will only pick up on the fact that someone is trying to gain access to a number of facilities,” Tucker continued to fiddle with the coding, switching between windows and his separate computer. He pulled up a number of unfamiliar programs, leaving the two onlookers to simply speculate their purpose, all the while muttering to himself, thinking aloud. After a few moments he ejected the card and held it up, Nathaniel taking it in hand examining it speculatively.  
“We should be in the clear, so long as the guards don’t have some shoot first policy upon seeing it. As long as we can make it through the gate I can hack the rest if need be.”  
“It’ll have to do,” the biologist nodded, pocketing the card. Hopefully it would be enough to slip by Axion’s security. 

___________________________________

Sam stared up at the screen, fear and uncertainty across her features as she desperately wished that all of this was a dream. Yet there it was, staring her in the face with its harsh reality; the little heartbeat thrumming in the dark, deeply nestled inside of her. The heart of a baby, her baby…. And it had been forced upon her along with the unusual mutation, warping her body to adapt to carrying it successfully. She could feel her stomach twisting, uncomfortable with the thought of some strange entity growing inside her, let alone the circumstances in which it was conceived.   
The dark mer’s howls from across the room weren’t helping to block out the memory either. I left her squirming against the bonds that pinned her there, wanting to be elsewhere. To be away from the sight of the video feed, the creature responsible for forcing it upon her, and the sinister snake of a man who took such pleasure at her misfortune.   
Her gaze settled on the glass of the far wall. While it looked similar to a tank, she could tell that it was not; sensitive ears picking up on the sounds of the shifting tide beyond the glass. A viewing window out into the open sea. A few fish darted by and she watched them for a while, grateful for the distraction while it lasted.   
It didn’t last long. Ripped out of her stupor by Vladimir’s voice. The man was still grinning at the sight upon the screen.   
“A beautiful hybrid child. I wonder what gender it’ll be. A boy would be quite lovely. I’m curious as to which of you it’ll take after.”  
She felt like she wanted to puke, the tightening sensation in her stomach clenching growing unpleasant along with her discomfort. It wasn’t helped by Danny ramming against the glass, screaming any number of profanities in his own tongue. The billionaire either didn’t notice, or didn’t care for the mer’s fuss, as he continued his ministrations, only interrupted by the sound of a buzzer for an incoming call. The nearby monitor flashing at him.  
A growl in his throat, Vlad turned to address the screen, “Speak…”  
“Sir, this is North Gate security. We have person(s) requesting access.”  
“Their clearance?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously. He wasn’t expecting any company, nor did he have any meetings scheduled this week. So who had the gall to try and speak with him anywhere but his usual office?  
“Black Card, sir. Protocol says we’re to inform you prior to allowing access.”  
“Ah yes, I see,” the billionaire nodded, mind running over his mental checklist. Black cards were a special circumstance; an item he would hand out to business associates as a means of appealing to their greed and trust. It held the promise of allowing access to his facilities if invited, but without the invitation they were a simple security measure. Anyone trying to slip in via its access wouldn’t get by without his notice. A means of protecting his valuable assets and weeding out those that would try to double cross him through stolen information.   
“Their names?”  
“Nathaniel Manson, sir.”  
Vlad cursed under his breath, wishing he could throw something in his sudden flash of anger. He wasn’t sure how the nature loving scientist had found him. Out of all the businesses that he owned within the city, how had the man managed to single out this one? He’d rather deal with anyone other than the redhead, the meddling fool. It seemed he was going to have to take some unexpected measures now that the biologist was becoming a hindrance.   
“Allow them access as per instruction and have them escorted to my office….” He paused for a moment to compose himself before giving his next command, “Have alpha squad on station.”  
The guard remained silent for a long moment as if hesitating, but complied with the order, “Understood sir.”  
“Good…” Vlad hung up without another word to the sentry, a dark look within his eye as he turned to look out the viewing glass. The waters were calm, contrasting with the vehement turmoil churning within. It left a low, almost primal growl in his throat.  
“Nathaniel Manson….. You’ve outlived your usefulness…”


End file.
